PANAJI: After a long fight put up by public transport operators in the state, passenger and transport vehicles have been exempted from paying road tax for the lockdown period.
An ordinance to amend the Goa, Daman and Diu Motor Vehicles Tax Act, 1974, was notified on Wednesday, making it the Goa Motor Vehicles Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.
As a result, the state has exempted tax payable on goods and passenger vehicles by all kinds of commercial and transport vehicles registered in the state for a period of six months — from April 1 to September 30.
With respect to fines, the ordinance says that there will be no penalty if the tax is paid on or before March 31, 2021. If the penalty has been paid for the current financial year, then it would be adjusted towards the tax payable in future
Vehicles registered in the state, which includes stage carriages, contract carriages, maxi-cabs, taxi, autorickshaw, motorcycles, rent-a-bike and rent-a-cab are included in the exemption list.
Demands made by some private bus owners to waive road and passenger taxes during the lockdown months were taken to court after several appeals made to the directorate of transport in this regard were not granted.
Recently, the opposition had lambasted the government for not keeping its promise. Last month, chief minister Pramod Sawant had said that most commercial vehicles did not ply from March 1 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and consequent restrictions, and that their owners would not have to cough up a penalty or interest for not paying road tax. Owners who did not pay road tax during the specified period would have those amounts carried forward, he had said.
An ordinance to amend the Goa, Daman and Diu Motor Vehicles Tax Act, 1974, was notified on Wednesday, making it the Goa Motor Vehicles Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.
As a result, the state has exempted tax payable on goods and passenger vehicles by all kinds of commercial and transport vehicles registered in the state for a period of six months — from April 1 to September 30.
With respect to fines, the ordinance says that there will be no penalty if the tax is paid on or before March 31, 2021. If the penalty has been paid for the current financial year, then it would be adjusted towards the tax payable in future
Vehicles registered in the state, which includes stage carriages, contract carriages, maxi-cabs, taxi, autorickshaw, motorcycles, rent-a-bike and rent-a-cab are included in the exemption list.
Demands made by some private bus owners to waive road and passenger taxes during the lockdown months were taken to court after several appeals made to the directorate of transport in this regard were not granted.
Recently, the opposition had lambasted the government for not keeping its promise. Last month, chief minister Pramod Sawant had said that most commercial vehicles did not ply from March 1 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and consequent restrictions, and that their owners would not have to cough up a penalty or interest for not paying road tax. Owners who did not pay road tax during the specified period would have those amounts carried forward, he had said.
