AMC outsource collection of taxes from mobile towers

Aurangabad, April 15:

To enhance the tax collection from the mobile companies against their towers and get rid of growing outstanding, the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC)like other municipal corporations in the state, has decided to outsource the collection through a private agency.

The collection of property tax from the mobile phone companies is an headache for the AMC every year.In response to the tender, the Pune’s M/s Vision Services Co. has been shortlisted for the task. The AMC will be releasing a compensation between 16-19 per cent to encourage the collection percentage to the company.

It may be noted that the last general body (GB) has okayed the proposal of appointing a private agency for the collection of taxes from the mobile phone companies in its meeting.

The responsibility of private agency include conducting a survey of existing mobile towers of various companies in the city, jot down the technical details of each tower (like date of erection, check legalities like permission, tax clearance by the property-holder where the tower is standing) etc. The necessary details relating AMC Rules and Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act and submit the details to the AMC.

It will also help the companies in seeking permissions, documentations, tax levying proposals, and raise the demand of tax.

Earlier, the AMC has published the tender three times and all the time the Pune’s agency responded to it.It may be noted that the AMC will not be paying any charges to the agency till the collection of Rs 8 crore and for conducting the survey in the city.However, it will pay 16 per cent of the collection recorded between Rs 8 crore and Rs 12 crore and 19 per cent of the collection more than Rs 12 crore.

The AMC has also decided to grant compensation to the agency on the recovery of property tax (against the mobile tower)of Rs 8 crore outstanding in the last five years.This will help enhance the collection of AMC taxes, hoped the deputy commissioner Aparna Thete.

It may be noted that the AMC hopes to collect Rs 30 crore tax annually against the present collection of Rs 10 crore, from the mobile phone companies. There are 650 towers in the city, it is learnt.