The North News
Chandigarh, February 18
Punjab’s Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced that the Excise and Taxation Department’s targeted GST registration campaigns have led to significant growth in the state’s taxpayer base. In a press release on Tuesday, Cheema revealed that 46,338 new taxpayers were added in the 2023-24 fiscal year, with approximately 33,000 new registrations by December 2024.
A statewide initiative aimed at educating taxpayers on filing procedures, ITC claims, and compliance benefits has been launched alongside the registration drives. The Finance Minister also shared that in January 2025, the department conducted another registration drive, targeting 48,000 new dealers and successfully registering around 10,500 eligible ones across the state.
The department utilized various community engagement methods, including awareness camps, meetings with market and industry associations, and consultations with Chartered Accountants (CAs), advocates, and accountants. To encourage tax compliance, the Finance Minister highlighted the extension of the “Bill Liyao Inaam Pao Scheme,” which incentivizes consumers by rewarding them for uploading purchase bills on the Mera Bill app.
The campaign has resulted in penalties worth Rs 8.15 crore imposed on non-compliant taxpayers and rewards totaling Rs 2.45 crore for 4,106 consumers.
To increase tax revenue, Cheema noted that 93% of registered taxpayers are consistently filing returns on time, and the department is actively penalizing tax evaders. The state has also partnered with IIT Hyderabad to introduce advanced data analytic tools, along with new adjudication and scrutiny modules to prevent revenue leakage.
Cheema emphasized the importance of expanding the GST tax base to enhance revenue, reduce tax evasion, and ensure fairness within the taxation system. He affirmed that the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is committed to these goals through a dual strategy of integrating unregistered businesses into the GST system and strengthening compliance among existing taxpayers.
