A new innovative incentive scheme is being launched for the recovery of arrears of tax defaulters. 5% of the total recovered money from defaulters would be given to the informer and his name would be kept strict confidential, Haryana excise and taxation minister, Birender Singh said.

While reviewing the tax collection by the department with the deputy excise and taxation commissioners (DETCs) at Haryana Niwas, he said considering the world recession, a new challenge was ahead before the officers of the department and they had to work with the same zeal and dedication to meet the challenges to generate more funds to maintain accelerated pace of development of the state.

State government had earmarked a tax collection target of 11,840 crore during the current financial year and out of which a sum of Rs 6,139 crore had already been collected which was 51.86 % of the total tax collection.

The target of tax collection during the year 2008-09 has been fixed at Rs 2,000 crore more than the last year and state government had maintained a cumulative growth rate of 20% plus during the last five years after introduction of VAT in the state, Singh added.

The tempo of development could be maintained by identifying new thrust areas on which tax could be levied. Similarly, the limit of luxury tax could be increased from Rs 30 crore to 100 crore by identifying new thrust areas during the current financial yea, he said.

Efforts should be made to achieve the target of Rs 393 crore of passenger and goods tax as under the scheme a sum of Rs 208 crore had already been recovered so far, Singh said.

Restructuring of the department would be made so that all the vacant posts could be filled and it could be rationalised. He said laptop facilities would be made available to the officers so that transparency and efficiency could be maintained in the tax collection.

He said that efforts would be made to make the department think-tank and the services of the specialised agencies at the state headquarter should be sought so that a new look could be provided to the department.

He directed the financial commissioner, excise and taxation, Raminder Jakhu that meeting of the department should be called every month to review the tax collection. Jakhu said that the department from January next would start online filing of returns.

He opined the DETCs that they should formulate time management to get the desired results.