Guwahati, Aug. 8: The Assam government today tabled an amendment bill in the Assembly to reduce the tax rate from 25 paise to 15 paise per kg on green leaf produced by small tea growers, whose area of special land does not exceed 40 hectares.

The Assam Taxation (On Specified Lands) (Amendment) Bill, 2016, was introduced in the House by finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

It seeks to amend certain provisions of the main act, The Assam Taxation (On Specified Lands) Act, 1990.

One of the proposed amendments is to provide for corresponding reduction in the tax rate for deduction of tax at source from 25 paise to 15 paise per kg of green tea leaves by the buyer while making the payment to the small tea growers for purchasing green tea leaves from them.

The finance minister today also tabled The Assam Taxation (Liquidation of Arrear Dues) (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which seeks to restructure certain provisions of The Assam Taxation (Liquidation of Arrear Dues) Act, 2005, for clearing up the long outstanding dues under various taxation acts, in pursuance of the announcement made in the budget speech for the 2016-17 fiscal by the finance minister.

"The bill proposes to amend the preamble and Sections 1(3), 2(1)(d), 4 and Schedule of The Assam Taxation (Liquidation of Arrear Dues) Act, 2005, as amended," Sarma said, in the statement of objects and reasons of the bill.

Sarma today tabled another amendment bill, the Assam Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

This bill seeks to amend certain provisions of The Assam Value Added Tax Act, 2003, which inter alia, included the provisions to give effect to the budget proposals for the year 2016-17.

The amendments will pave the way for collection of tax on first point, extend the time for filing of the audit report from seven to nine months, to amend the rate of tax on liquor covered by Entry 10 of the Fourth Schedule (of the main act) from existing slab of 30 per cent to 40 per cent.

This amendment bill also proposed changes in sections related to levy of tax on maximum retail price and sale of tea through the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre.