Assam govt offer 0.75% more rebate on digital purchase of fuel Plus 17 Other Incentive

By | December 20, 2016
(Last Updated On: December 20, 2016)

Assam Govt Incentives for Cashless Transactions

GUWAHATI, Dec 19 – The Assam State Government today announced a number of incentives to boost electronic payment and for promotion of cashless transactions.

Addressing a press conference here, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled an 18-point incentive scheme for transforming the State into a ‘less-cash economy’ and said that it is sought to be achieved through both incentivising electronic payments and de-incentivising cash payments.

1. 1.5% Discount on Purchase of Diesel and Petrol :- “The oil PSUs have offered 0.75 per cent discount on the price of diesel and petrol to the customers if they pay electronically. The State Government will also offer another 0.75 per cent discount in addition to the above and this amount will be adjusted to the VAT dues to be paid by the oil PSUs. Customers will get a cash-back of equivalent to 1.5 per cent of the price of diesel and petrol purchased into their accounts. This will be effective from January 1, 2017,” Sarma said.

2. Reduction in User Charges in Hospital :– He said user charges of all patients which are Rs 500 and above will be reduced by 10 per cent for those who pay electronically in government hospitals and medical colleges. “If hospitals and medical colleges incur any financial loss on this account, the State Government will compensate the hospital management committees,” he added

3.Reduction in Property tax and trade licence fee :- Property tax and trade licence fee charged by urban local bodies (ULBs) will be reduced by 10 per cent for those who pay electronically and if any ULB incurs any financial loss on this account, the State Government will compensate them.

4.Incentive for Gaon Panchayat Samabay Samitis (GPSS) and fair price shops (FPS):- “Gaon Panchayat Samabay Samitis (GPSS) and fair price shops (FPS) making all receipts and payments electronically will be incentivised. Such GPSS will get a cash award of Rs 25,000 if 100 per cent payments are made digitally continuously from January 1 to June 30, 2017, while such FPS will get a cash award of Rs 10,000 for 100 per cent digital payments during the same period,” Sarma said.

5.‘CM’s Award to Bank Branch:–  if more than 75 per cent account holders in a rural bank branch make at least two electronic or digital transactions between January 1 and March 31, 2017, such bank branch will be awarded the ‘CM’s Award for Assam Rural Digital Initiative 2016-17’ comprising Rs 50,000 and a citation.

6.‘CM’s Award for Uttam Panchayat: Sarma said that if all transactions of a village in a particular gaon panchayat are made 100 per cent electronic within March 31, 2017, such a village will be awarded the ‘CM’s Award for Uttam Panchayat for Digital Transactions’ carrying Rs 5 lakh and a citation.

7. ‘CM’s Award for Digital Krishak Shiromoni’ to Farmers :- “If all transactions of a farmer on purchase of fertilisers and seeds happen through cashless mechanism between January 1 and July 15, 2017, the first 10 farmers in each district will be awarded with the ‘CM’s Award for Digital Krishak Shiromoni’ with a cash award of Rs 5,000 and a citation,” the minister said.

8.Incentive to tea garden :- He said that a one-time incentive of Rs 100 per labourer will be given to a tea garden provided that the full payment of wages to a particular worker at each of the specified intervals is made through digital mode during the period from January 1 to March 31, 2017, and the maximum amount of such incentive will be “restricted/available to the extent of the agricultural income tax liability to be paid to the government by such tea garden.

9. Incentive to cinema hall owners:– Rs 5 per ticket will be given as incentive to cinema hall owners for online sale of tickets through digital payment received during the period from January 1 to March 31, 2017, and such amounts will be reduced from entertainment tax to be paid to the government.

10.Incentive  to colleges:- “If all receipts and payments are electronically made by government or provincialised colleges continuously from January 1 to July 15, 2017, top 10 such colleges will be provided a cash incentive of Rs 5 lakh each.

11 Incentive to mouzadars :- If 75 per cent of total land revenue is collected through digital mode from January 1 to July 15, 2017, the top 10 mouzadars will be provided a cash incentive of Rs 25,000 each,” said the minister.

12 Tax Through Digital Mode:– “Any tax amount of more than Rs 10,000 will now have to be paid using the electronic or digital mode,” Sarma said, adding,

13. Entry Tax Exempted for certain items:– The entry tax has been exempted in the State for PoS machines, ATM machines, VSAT dish antennae and mobile wi-fi till March 31, 2017.

14 Incentive to Deputy Commissioners  :- “Rs 5 will be provided to Deputy Commissioners as cash incentive for every individual citizen who has changed to digital payment mode in addition to Rs 10 already announced by the NITI Aayog.

15. Digital District Championship Award:– Besides, as part of the CM’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration, a new award called Digital District Championship Award will be instituted, to begin from 2016-17 ending March 31, 2017, with a cash award of Rs 50,000 and a citation for those DCs who will contribute significantly for capacity building, digital transactions and brand building and sustainability of less-cash economy and digital payments in a district,” the minister said.

16.Provision in Budget :– He said the State Budget, to be presented in February 2017, will have a digital component with funds earmarked for each department. While the government expects to lose around Rs 100 crore in the short term due to the incentives, the idea is to gain in the long term, he added.

 

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