Ahead of celebrating the completion of two years in government, Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah thanked tax authorities for their efficiency, which helped the state become the second highest in the country in terms of GST collections.

Addressing a function of tax officials—the golden jubilee programme organised by the Karnataka Tax Seva Sangha in the city on Saturday—Siddaramaiah urged them to aim for the top spot in GST collections.

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Congratulating officials, Siddaramaiah said the association has achieved a milestone in tax collection over 50 years, adding, “I handled the responsibility of the finance department for a long time with everyone’s cooperation. I also served as the Finance Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Chief Minister. Throughout this journey, the cooperation and assistance from tax officials have been tremendous.”

The government has now completed two years of successful administration, he said. The milestone will be celebrated at a function at Hospet in Vijayanagar district on May 20.

“Congratulations to all officials of the Commercial Tax Department for their efforts in tax collection. The department has shown commendable performance, achieving a substantial tax collection last year. A target of ₹1,03,000 crore was set, and an additional ₹17,000 crore was successfully collected, the Chief Minister said.

This year, the tax collection target has been raised to ₹1,20,000 crore. The state budget for this year is ₹4,09,000 crore, out of which ₹50,018 crore has been allocated for guarantees. So far, ₹90,000 crore has been spent on these guarantees.

Despite criticism from opposition parties regarding economic instability, the government managed to implement the guarantees only due to the successful and diligent efforts of the tax department, the Chief Minister said.

“Today, Karnataka’s guarantee schemes have become a model for the entire country,” he stated, underscoring the success of the Congress government’s flagship welfare programmes. “In the 2023 elections, we formed the government with a strong mandate. True to our word, we decided to implement all five guarantees in the very first cabinet meeting. While the opposition claimed it would bankrupt the state, the reality is quite the opposite. Today, the same schemes are being imitated by those who once mocked them,” Siddaramaiah said.

The government is committed to enhancing the tax collection process, he affirmed.

“As the Finance Minister, I refrain from unnecessary interference in the functioning of tax authorities. However, the authorities must strive to meet the tax collection targets assigned to the department. Tax leakage in Bengaluru is notably high, even though Karnataka remains a leader in tax collection,” the Chief Minister noted.

The government is focused on further improving the tax payment process. The demands of the Tax Officers’ Association will be reviewed, and the government will address the legitimate concerns of its employees. At the same time, disciplinary action will be taken against employees neglecting their duties, the CM said.