Nagaland not frontrunner in GST collection, says official
Dimapur: Nagaland’s Commissioner of Taxes, Abhinav Shivam, stated that the state is not a frontrunner in GST collection, either in average or per capita terms.
He noted that revenue leakages through evasion have significantly impacted the state’s share.
Addressing the inaugural programme of the five-day onsite training on GST for Nagaland State Tax Officers at the Office of the Commissioner of State Taxes in Dimapur, Shivam said Nagaland has a unique and complex history.
“Our geography, remoteness, infrastructural challenges, and political complexities have led to a legacy of underdevelopment,” he observed, adding that the state has struggled to establish revenue-generating industries and enterprises.
Pointing out that Nagaland relies heavily on tax revenues to meet its financial and developmental needs, he said, optimising tax revenue is not merely an administrative objective but also a developmental imperative.
“The progress of our people, the services we deliver, the salaries we dispense, the roads we build all rest upon our tax collection,” Shivam added.
He acknowledged that in recent times, Nagaland has made modest progress in tax revenue recovery and compliance efforts.
He said the State Taxes Department recovered over Rs 10 crore in revenue arrears between February and May 2025.
Despite constraints, the department, he noted, is making steady, strategic progress.
He emphasized that GST is dynamic and demands that “we stay updated, trained, and alert to the nuances of reforms and policy changes that occur with remarkable frequency.”
Also noting that taxation remains one of the most misunderstood concepts, often seen in a negative light, Shivam said, “We need to understand that the sprawling network of roads, developmental schemes, and infrastructure is all financed from tax proceeds. This perception must change through a comprehensive public awareness campaign beginning in July.”
He stressed that for Nagaland to thrive, tax compliance must become a people’s movement.
Shivam extended his gratitude to the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics (NACIN), Shillong, led by its Additional Commissioner Issac R. Kharkongor, for conducting the training.