Strong Prescription

Now, reports suggest that the chemists8217; associations have been asked to submit proposals regarding city8217;s development, perhaps as a quid pro quo for waiving octroi. Does that meanthat BMC, which had so far resisted every attempt to switch octroi with an account-based cess, is now ready to replace it with charity. Octroi, the world has learnt, is an outdated mode of collection of tax. It involves huge infrastructural costs and entails unending queues at octroi nakas, not to mention the endemic corruption. Among the 187 member countries of the United Nations, only India and Ethiopia have this system. Every other country has deviced simpler, much cheaper methods of collecting this tax. Even in India quite a few states have found an alternative. Rajasthan has introduced a surcharge on sales tax and Gujarat too is considering a similar method. Even neighbouring Navi Mumbai has experimented, and with considerable success, with an account-based cess. The chemists8217; strike has presented BMC with an opportunity to change 8211; a change for better.