Punjab collects record ₹1,482-crore as GST in April

A spokesperson of the taxation commissioner’s office said that the previous highest monthly revenue from GST was ₹1,216 crores in July 2019. GST revenue in April 2020, when the covid-19 outbreak had led to the first lockdown was a meagre ₹156 crore.

Punjab has collected around ₹1,482 crore in revenue from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in April 2021, the highest amount under this head in any month, since the new system was introduced in the country in July 2017. A spokesperson of the taxation commissioner’s office said that the previous highest monthly revenue from GST was ₹1,216 crores in July 2019. GST revenue in April 2020, when the covid-19 outbreak had led to the first lockdown was a meagre ₹156 crore.

In April 2019 (a normal year), the GST revenue was ₹1,088 crore and compared to this, Punjab has seen a growth of 36%. (HT photo)

The spokesperson added that in April 2019 (a normal year), the GST revenue was ₹1,088 crore and compared to this, Punjab has seen a growth of 36% with sectors like telecom, iron and steel, electronic goods, cement, petroleum products (which attract the GST) making important contribution to the revenue earned for the particular month.

In addition to GST, Punjab also collects revenue from Value Added Tax (VAT) and Central Sales Tax (CST), with major contributors under this head being alcohol for human consumption and five petroleum products which are outside the ambit of GST. For April 2021, the total VAT and CST collection stands at ₹701 crore, whereas it was ₹431 crore for the same month in 2019, recording a growth of nearly 63%.