The Times of India                   04.03.2013

Building tax remittance gets easier in Malappuram

MALAPPURAM: The remittance of building tax in local bodies is going to be completely online by April 1.

The local bodies are introducing the online facility for tax remittance as part of the e-district initiative, which is being introduced in the district.

It is expected that the building tax remittance would become easier with the introduction of the facility.

At present the local bodies are using Samkhya software for tax remittance and majority of local bodies are outsourcing the duty of manual entry of details due to the shortage of staff.

The e-payment facility would be driven by the Sanjaya software developed by Information Kerala Mission (IKM). The new software would be linked with the existing Samkhya software.

The local bodies will also introduce SMS update service along with e-payment of building tax.

Almost all issues regarding the tax payments would be resolved with the introduction of online system in local bodies, said district panchayat president Zuhara Mambad.

"Some local bodies have already introduced the system. The system will help to avoid long queues in front of offices and it also will help to tide over the manpower shortage,"she said.

A huge dip has been recorded in the tax collection of local bodies this year as only 65 per cent of building tax was remitted so far in this fiscal. The government's plan to introduce revised building tax system was cited as the major reason for the dip in the total amount of building tax that already remitted in local bodies in the district.