A 5- day “Onsite training on GST for Nagaland State Tax Officers”, commenced with its inauguration on June 16 at the office of the Commissioner of State Taxes, Dimapur.
Speaking at the inaugural programme, Commissioner of Taxes, Abhinav Shivam, IAS extended his heartfelt gratitude to the National Academy of Customs, indirect Taxes & Narcotics (NACIN), Shillong led by the Addl. Commissioner, Issac R Kharkongor for graciously agreeing to conduct the training. He said that Training Programme on GST and Enforcement is a vital step in our continuing mission to strengthen the tax administration system in Nagaland.
He asserted that the Goods and Services Tax (GST), is dynamic nature, where it demands that “we, stay updated, trained, and alert to the nuances of reforms and policy changes that occur with remarkable frequency.”
He said in recent times, Nagaland has made modest headlines in terms of tax revenue recovery and compliance efforts and acknowledged with a sense of urgency and purpose, that Nagaland state is not the front runner in GST collection in average or per capital terms and revenue leakages through evasion have severely affected our share.
“Nagaland has a unique and complex history. Our geography, remoteness, infrastructural challenges, political complexities have led to a legacy of underdevelopment. As a consequence we have struggled to establish revenue generating industries and enterprises. But for now, Nagaland relies heavily on tax revenues to meet its financial and developmental need and hence optimising tax revenue is not merely an administrative objective, it is a developmental imperative. Progress of our people, the services we deliver, the salaries we dispense, the roads we build, the salaries we disburse all rests upon our tax collection,” he added.
Despite constraints, he said the department is making steady, strategic progress. Over the past 8 months, it has prioritised on capacity building, sending officers to Guwahati, Shillong, Kolkata, New Delhi, and conducting high-impact training of DDOs of various departments in Kohima on the nuances of TDS, developed two in-house tools to monitor GST compliance and CSTO performance and are working on a monthly reporting format to better assess revenue health. Further, he said the joint enforcement operations with CGST counterparts have begun and will build on this inter-agency cooperation to eliminate loopholes in the system, upgrading to newer and cutting edge technologies, and working to implement RFID-based tracking systems to further curb evasion, and also to address new entrepreneurs facing in understanding GST compliance, an FAQ guide in Nagamese to demystify GST.
Further, in partnership with CGST, the department aims to train local youth as Tax Mitras-grassroots tax advisors, simultaneously turning our zonal offices into information hubs. He also informed that the department has recovered over ₹10 crore in revenue arrears from February 2025 to May 2025.
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Beyond enforcement, Shivam stated that taxation unfortunately remains one of the most misunderstood concepts, often seen in a negative light. “We need to understand that the sprawling network of roads, developmental schemes, infrastructure, all are financed from the proceeds of tax which will change with a comprehensive public awareness campaign beginning from July,” he said adding, for Nagaland to thrive, tax compliance must become a people’s movement.
Shivam highlighted the importance of continuous learning in the dynamic GST system and stressed the department’s commitment to building public trust and enhancing taxpayer awareness. He announced plans for GST outreach campaigns, localized support tools, and youth engagement through the Tax Mitra initiative.
Resource persons for the 5-day training will be: Addl. Commissioner, NACIN, Shillong, Issac R Kharkongor; Additional Commissioner, CGST, Dimapur, Sashi Wapang; CA, Raginee Goyal; CA, Sushil Kumar Goyal; CA, Ayush Saraf; Assistant Commmissioner, CGST, Dimapur, S Krishnan.
The inauguration program was chaired by Tokatoli Sohe and concluded with a vote of thanks from the chair. The program aims to enhance the understanding and implementation of GST laws among the state tax officers, ensuring better service delivery and compliance across the state.
