Shillong: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma plans to open the new office for the Commissioner of Excise in Meghalaya. The event takes place this Friday at 3:30 pm. The building sits in Lower Lachaumiere.
Construction is finished. Officials expect the facility to house department operations moving forward. This remains a significant upgrade for the state agency.
Updated at 28th August 2026 at 10:06pm
Revenue from state excise jumped from 180 crore to over 500 crore in eight years. Officials expect collections to hit 1,000 crore soon. The government credits this surge to policy shifts, including a recent move to fold VAT on alcohol into the excise duty structure. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma noted this revenue funds schools, hospitals, and safe motherhood programs.
The 14.55 crore facility ends a five decade run in temporary buildings. It centralizes the laboratory, enforcement wing, and the Integrated Excise Management System. By bringing these units under one roof, the government expects to cut out red tape and speed up service for licensees. The inauguration was attended by Excise Minister Brening A. Sangma and Chief Secretary Dr. Shakil Ahammad.
Updated at 29th August 2026 at 9:47am
The Cabinet cleared the merger of alcohol VAT into the excise duty regime by amending Section 44 and Schedule V of the Meghalaya Value Added Tax Act this August. Sangma stated the policy tweak aims to boost collections without wrecking the existing market or hurting stakeholders.
The move follows a wider government push to fix up state assets. Sangma linked the new office to broader infrastructure work across the state, pointing to recent upgrades at schools, police stations, outposts, block offices, and health centers like PHCs and CHCs.
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