Chandigarh, March 24

Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister, Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, has issued a directive to maximize taxpayer participation in the GST amnesty scheme introduced for non-fraud cases. The Minister emphasized the importance of proactive engagement through comprehensive public awareness campaigns, utilizing traditional advertising and social media platforms to inform eligible taxpayers about the scheme's benefits.

Chairing a crucial meeting with senior officers of the Taxation Department at Punjab Bhawan, the Finance Minister stressed the need for sensitizing field staff to personally engage with taxpayers and facilitate the application process. This move aims to enable taxpayers to avail the benefits of the GST amnesty scheme and facilitate the recovery of revenue currently locked in arrears, thereby bolstering the financial health of the state.

The GST Amnesty Scheme, introduced under Section 128A of CGST Act, aims to ease the compliance burden on taxpayers by waiving interest and penalties on tax demands raised under Section 73. The GST Amnesty Scheme allows taxpayers to clear their outstanding dues pertaining to the financial year 2017-18 to 2019-20 by March 31, 2025. Additionally, the corresponding forms must be submitted by June 30, 2025.

The Finance Minister also issued a stern directive to all officers, mandating the attainment of established revenue targets without exception. During the meeting, the Finance Minister was briefed on the overall revenue growth, with a focus on Value Added Tax (VAT) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections.

Notably, VAT collection demonstrated a 5.74% increase, while GST revenue witnessed a more substantial growth of 13.39% up to February 2025. The divisions of Ludhiana and Amritsar were identified as key contributors to this success, exhibiting above-average performance in GST revenue collection.

The Finance Minister also reviewed outstanding Goods and Services Tax (GST) arrears, directing officers to ensure current arrears are promptly recovered and prevented from becoming part of the accumulated backlog. He emphasized the need for strict enforcement measures to avoid further delays and secure timely revenue collection.

The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary (Taxation) Jaspreet Talwar, Taxation Commissioner Varun Roojam, Additional Commissioners, Joint Commissioners, and Deputy Commissioners of State Tax of the Divisions.