Use AI To Check Tax Evasions: Naidu

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday made it clear that all the revenue generating wings should strive hard for increasing State's revenue and tax collections besides undertaking welfare and development programmes.

Besides finding additional sources of income, steps should be taken to find out the reasons where low income is reported and take necessary steps for income growth, he said during a review meeting at the State Secretariat with officials of revenue generating departments. Observing that Rs2,500 crore tax dues are still pending, he said that majority of these dues are with regard to taxes on Central and State properties and levies on vacant lands. The officials informed the Chief Minister that Rs240 crore property taxes were collected in just six days after 50 per cent interest subsidy is announced in March. Pointing out that the Artificial Intelligence (AI) through the occupancy certificates issued by the Municipal Department has identified that over 1,000 builders did not register themselves, the Chief Minister made it clear to the officers that the State Government should give any kind of approvals only to those who have GST registrations.

He advised the officials to use AI for identifying the tax evaders and felt that the same process should be adopted by all revenue generating departments to ensure strict tax collection. The traders should be informed that tax payments and getting permissions become easy by utilising technology, the Chief Minister said.

Making it absolutely clear that unlike the previous government the policy of the TDP-led NDA Government is not to harass the traders, Naidu told the officials to ensure that all the due taxes are paid by maintaining close coordination with the traders.

He was very particular that the information of all departments including tax-payers, GST portal, AT State Data Centre and APCTD are interlinked with AI.