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Punjab posts 15.7% GST growth: Cheema
Cheema revealed that while the gross GST collection in January stood at ₹2,452.6 crore, the net GST collection registered a year-on-year growth of ₹315 crore, marking a 15.7% increase over January 2025
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Punjab has recorded growth in GST collections in January 2026, reflecting improved compliance despite challenges from the Centre’s GST 2.0 rate rationalisation, finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said.
Cheema revealed that while the gross GST collection in January stood at ₹2,452.6 crore, the net GST collection registered a year-on-year growth of ₹315 crore, marking a 15.7% increase over January 2025. He added that the achievement is noteworthy as the state faced an estimated monthly revenue loss of around ₹250 crore due to GST 2.0 rate reductions impacting key sectors – yarn, textiles, hosiery, pharmaceuticals, insurance, tyres, and cement.
“On a year-to-date basis (up to January 2026), net GST collections have grown by 13.4%, with cumulative collections increasing from ₹19,415 crore to ₹22,014 crore. The gross GST collections during the same period also recorded a 13% growth,” he said.
A key highlight of January 2026 was the exceptional performance in SGST cash collections, which grew by 14.4%, the highest growth rate among all Indian states for the month.
The state maintained a strong focus on taxpayer facilitation, issuing ₹129 crore in SGST refunds in January 2026, with total GST refunds amounting to approximately ₹300 crore.
“Enforcement actions yielded substantial results, with the state intelligence and preventive units (SIPUs) stopping over ₹200 crore in input tax credit (ITC) theft and arresting the trend of bogus billing during January 2026,” Cheema further informed.
In addition to GST 2.0-related challenges, Punjab faced further fiscal pressure due to the unilateral deduction of approximately ₹280 crore from IGST settlements by the Centre over the last three months.
