AP at top in comparative gross tax collection, says finance minister

Vijayawada: Finance minister Buggana Rajendranath said on Monday that 12 GST Seva Kendras were started in the state and the government is providing hassle-free service to taxpayers through the GST Mitra platform.

He formally inaugurated the first GST Seva Kendram in Vijayawada city and unveiled the Jnana Kshetram, Commercial Tax Vision, Mission values and GST Mitra logo during a programme.

The minister said the commercial taxes department of AP successfully implemented the transformative initiatives to simplify the taxation processes and achieved remarkable progress with a substantial 31 per cent growth.

Rajendranath said today marked a significant milestone as the first GST Seva Kendram was inaugurated at Division I in Vijayawada. To counter the problem of fake GST registrations exploiting economically vulnerable individuals, the APCT department has launched the Aadhaar-based biometric registration project named GST Seva Kendram.

He explained that this initiative used biometric Aadhaar authentication and data analytics to filter out fraudulent entries during registration. To enhance accessibility, 12 GST Seva Kendras have been strategically established across AP.

Rajendranath explained that the collections increased from Rs 3,134 crore to Rs 4,093 crore, showcasing robust growth.

In comparative gross collection position among states, AP emerged as a leader, surpassing the growth rates of Karnataka (17 per cent), Tamil Nadu (20 per cent), Telangana (18 per cent), Kerala (20 per cent) and Odisha (3 per cent).

The minister stated that, in GST revenue (without compensation) for FY 2023-24 (up to November 23), AP raised '21,180.57 crore up to Nov 2023, achieving 90 per cent of the target, with a substantial growth of 17.14 per cent compared to last year's ' 18,080.69 crore. This, he stressed, indicated a positive momentum in GST collections.

He stated that due to the effectiveness of revenue generation strategies, the substantial increase in gross collections reflected the effectiveness of revenue generation strategies implemented by AP.

Rajendranath said, “GST Mithra is a pioneering initiative and it empowers taxpayers to identify discrepancies in their filed returns. The aim is to foster a culture of voluntary compliance, reducing physical interactions between businesses and tax officers.”

GST Mithra used state-of-the-art technology to automate the processes, creating transparency and enhancing taxpayer services, he said.

Rajendranath distributed incentive awards to the department's 195 meritorious officers and staff in various categories through a transparent selection process.

MLAs Malladi Vishnu and Vellampalli Srinivas, Vijayawada mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi, GST officials and others were present.