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Express Tribune
a day ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Gujranwala tops Punjab in tax recovery
The Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control Department Gujranwala has achieved the highest tax recovery among all districts of Punjab during the fiscal year 2024-25. Against a target of Rs3.66 billion, the department collected over Rs4.52 billion, surpassing its goal by a significant margin, according to officials. The offcials said the performance was made possible through a strategy led by Director Excise and Taxation Sobia Malik to keep all departmental teams on alert throughout the year. Major contributions came from the motor vehicle tax, property tax, professional tax, and excise duty sectors. During the year, the department collected Rs2.39 billion in motor vehicle tax, exceeding the target of Rs .87 billion. In the property tax category, collections reached Rs1.5 billion, while professional tax collections stood at Rs955.2 million. Other recoveries included Rs510.3 million from the "on highway" category, Rs104.9 million from high-value residential properties, and Rs60.5 million through excise duty. Director Sobia Malik said that the tax targets have been raised in the current fiscal year. She emphasized the department's commitment to achieving higher targets. She termed exceptional the performance of the teams involved in motor vehicle and property tax collections.
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Business Standard
01-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Punjab registers record 44% growth in net GST collections in June
The net GST collection last month stood at Rs 2,379.90 crore, reflecting a revenue growth of Rs 732.21 crore over the Rs 1,647.69 crore collected in June 2024 Press Trust of India Chandigarh Punjab registered a record 44.44 per cent growth in net goods and services tax collections at Rs 2,379.90 crore in June 2025, said Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday. Addressing the media here, Cheema said Punjab outpaced the national average in GST collection growth, firmly positioning itself among the top-performing states in tax mobilization despite facing national and geopolitical challenges, including border-related tensions. The net GST collection last month stood at Rs 2,379.90 crore, reflecting a revenue growth of Rs 732.21 crore over the Rs 1,647.69 crore collected in June 2024. This follows the monthly net growth trends of 15.35 per cent in April and 24.59 per cent in May. The net GST collection during the first quarter of 2025-26 reached Rs 6,830.40 crore, even amidst the military conflict between India and Pakistan in May, compared to Rs 5,377.75 crore in the first quarter of 2024-25. This represents a growth rate more than four times the 6.41 per cent growth rate registered during the first quarter of 2024-25. Cheema was accompanied by Secretary (Taxation) Ajit Balaji Joshi and Excise and Taxation Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal. On this occasion, Cheema facilitated top five taxpayers of the state for their contribution to the state's economic growth. Cheema also hit out at the previous SAD-BJP and Congress-led governments, citing their "failure" to check tax evasion and improve the state's fiscal health. He asserted that the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government has ensured consistent month-on-month and year-on-year growth. He noted a GST collection growth rate of 16.25 per cent in 2022-23, 15.51 per cent in 2023-24, and 12.84 per cent in 2024-25, registering a total collection of Rs 62,733 crore in three years. In contrast, during the Congress regime from 2018-19 to 2021-22, the state merely collected Rs 55,146 crore. Similarly, during the SAD-BJP regime, the state witnessed only 4.57 per cent and 2.67 per cent growth in tax collections during 2014-15 and 2015-16, respectively. "The AAP government has already collected more in three years than the Congress government collected in its entire five years," said Cheema. The finance minister further stated that the previous Congress-led state government heavily relied on compensation amounting to Rs 30,070 crore without any future plan for state revenues. "On the contrary, we enhanced field enforcement, targeted data-driven inspections, and improved taxpayer compliance to reduce tax evasion and safeguard the state's financial stability," he added. Revealing details of recent enforcement activities, the minister highlighted that the State Intelligence and Preventive Unit (SIPU) uncovered a GST fraud syndicate run by an accountant who created and operated 20 fake firms for bogus billing and ITC fraud. Preliminary investigations uncovered fraudulent transactions amounting to Rs 866.67 crore, leading to a tax evasion of Rs 157.22 crore. Additionally, the department uncovered a massive GST evasion involving a Chandigarh-based firm registered as a transporter for its involvement in bogus e-way bill generation and transportation of unaccounted goods amounting to Rs 168 crore, involving a cumulative tax liability of Rs 30.66 crore. Replying to a query on taking more debt, the finance minister said the state has to make an interest payments of Rs 25,000 crore and principal payments of Rs 18,200 crore on legacy debt, availed by the previous SAD-BJP and Congress led state governments, in 2025-26, while planning to borrow Rs 49,900 crore, despite Rs 13,000 crore in deductions by the Government of India. He stated that the state government plans to borrow Rs 8,500 crore to meet the redemption obligations of over Rs 3,500 crore for legacy debt in the second quarter of the current financial year alone. Cheema said Punjab's fiscal management is on a strong footing, with the state government taking proactive steps to manage its debt obligations. He highlighted that the Punjab government recently invested Rs 1,000 crore each in the Guarantee Redemption Fund (GRF) and Consolidated Sinking Fund (CSF), with the latter now exceeding Rs 10,000 crore, a significant increase from Rs 3,000 crore when the current government took office. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Punjab unearths Rs 1,549-cr billing scam, Ludhiana leads with Rs 900 cr fake invoices
Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced on Monday that the investigative wings of the state's Taxation Department detected transactions worth Rs 1,549 crore involving bogus billing or paper transactions and successfully blocked fraudulent Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims amounting to Rs 108.79 crore in the current fiscal. Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan here, Cheema provided details on the enforcement actions undertaken by the state Taxation Department. 'The department blocked an ITC worth Rs 21 crore by exposing fake invoices of Rs 900 crore in gold transactions in Ludhiana. Additionally, ITC worth Rs 12 crore was blocked after detecting fraudulent invoices amounting to Rs 226 crore in coal transactions across Mohali, Kharar and Kotkapura. Further enforcement actions led to the blocking of ITC worth Rs 75.79 crore by uncovering bogus transactions totalling Rs 423 crore in Ludhiana and Mandi Gobindgarh. In another major seizure, authorities intercepted a vehicle travelling from Ranchi to Ludhiana carrying 2 kg of gold without an invoice, and the investigation into this case is currently ongoing,' he divulged. Emphasising the significance of these enforcement actions, the minister highlighted the landmark statewide operation conducted on May 19. 'As part of the operation, 195 GST-registered firms, including 156 centrally registered firms and 39 state-registered firms, were physically verified, revealing fraudulent paper transactions amounting to Rs 423 crore and resulting in the blocking of ITC worth Rs 75.79 crore. A majority of the implicated firms were located in Ludhiana (100 firms) and Mandi Gobindgarh (72 firms).' Cheema said the department made notable arrests, including a high-profile case where an individual was apprehended for masterminding a racket involving fake invoicing and fraudulent ITC claims worth Rs 29.50 crore. The firm in question had made inward supplies of Rs 163 crore in 2023-24 and 2024-25 from over 60 bogus and cancelled firms, he said. The minister owed this success in carrying out these enforcement drives to the 15 modules developed under an agreement with IIT, Hyderabad, along with crucial inputs from the 'Bill Liyao Inaam Pao' scheme. Cheema announced that seven more such modules would be activated soon. 'So far, 4,880 consumers have collectively won Rs 2,89,15,295 by uploading their purchase bills on the 'Mera Bill' app. Meanwhile, discrepancies found in submitted bills under the GST Acts led to the imposition of penalties totalling Rs 9,07,06,102 and the successful recovery of Rs 7,20,92,230, he said. On GST collections, the minister said the AAP-led Punjab government collected Rs 62,733 crore in three years compared to Rs 63,042 crore collected by the Congress-led state government over five years. 'These figures speak for themselves,' Cheema said. He said that while the AAP government fostered trade growth and implemented stringent checks against tax evaders, previous administrations focused solely on amassing wealth for themselves. Taking a firm stance against opposition parties, Cheema criticised the Congress, the BJP, and the Akali Dal for their unfounded claims against the government's enforcement activities. 'These parties colluded with tax evaders in the past to siphon off the hard-earned money of honest taxpayers. Now that the government has tightened its grip on tax evasion, these parties are desperately trying to shield their allies from scrutiny,' he added.
Express Tribune
03-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
ETOs fail to meet property tax targets
The Rawalpindi Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has failed to achieve its tax targets for commercial and residential properties, with the Rawalpindi division's property tax shortfall exceeding 55 per cent. Punjab DG Excise and Taxation Muhammad Umer Sher has taken strict notice of the failure to meet the property tax target and has issued show-cause notices to the Excise and Taxation Officers of three zones in Rawalpindi district and a total of 7 ETOs in the districts of Jhelum, Attock, Murree and Chakwal. The department has also initiated strict action under the Punjab Efficiency and Accountability Act (PEDA), which could lead to the termination of the services of the officers who failed to meet the tax targets. This has caused a stir among the officers and field staff, including field inspectors and other employees. The property tax target for Tax Zone 1 under ETO Tahir Mehmood was Rs1220.367 million, but only Rs412.349 million have been collected so far. Similarly in Tax Zone 2 under ETO Waseem Haider, the target was Rs1653.476 million, with Rs470.752 million collected. In Tax Zone 4 ETO under Muhammad Umar Farooq, the target was Rs368.983 million, against which Rs94.884 million has been collected. In Zone 5 under ETO Ahmad Shehbaz, the target was Rs3740.393 million, but only Rs516.153 million were collected. In District Attock under ETO Farrukh Saeed Butt, the tax target was Rs313.956 million, with Rs142.500 million collected. In Jhelum, ETO Muhammad Munawar Hassan's target was Rs374.141 million, against which Rs207.777 million collected. In District Chakwal, ETO Zafar Ishaq's property tax target was Rs278.524 million, with Rs127.101 million collected. In Malka Kohisar District Murree, ETO Gul Sher Khan's target was Rs277.768 million, but only Rs54.487 million were collected. In mid-May, the Director General of Excise Taxation will visit Rawalpindi Division to review the progress toward meeting the targets. Strict departmental action will be taken against all ETOs, Excise Inspectors, and field staff who fail to meet their targets.
Hindustan Times
27-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
Over 2,200 litres of illegally pilfered ENA seized in Punjab; potential hooch tragedy averted
Chandigarh, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Sunday said there has been a significant breakthrough in the state's ongoing war against drugs campaign, with the seizure of 2,240 litres of illegally pilfered Extra Neutral Alcohol , averting a potential major hooch tragedy. Cheema, who also holds Excise and Taxation portfolios, highlighted the campaign's success in registering 4,745 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act cases, arresting 7,536 individuals, and demolishing illegal properties of 71 smugglers. According to an official statement, Cheema, who also chairs the 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' Cabinet Sub-Committee, said, "Acting on credible intelligence, a joint team of the Excise Department and Sangrur Police intercepted a vehicle on the Sangrur-Dirba Highway carrying approximately 200 litres of illicit ethanol. The driver, identified as Shaan Mohd., was apprehended." "Further investigation led to the discovery of a clandestine storage facility, resulting in the recovery of 34 drums, each containing 60 litres, totaling 2,040 litres of ENA. Another accused, Armaan Mohd, was also taken into custody during the raid," he added. Cheema said that this operation has successfully prevented a potential hooch tragedy, as this ENA could have been used to produce nearly 10,000 bottles of illicit liquor. He said that investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend all individuals involved in the racket, and stringent legal action will be taken against them. Providing more details of the progress under the "Yudh Nashian Virudh" campaign, Cheema said that significant quantities of drugs have been seized, including 301 kg of heroin, 9,969 kg of poppy husk, 154 kg of opium, 96 kg of cannabis and 21,84,276 tablets or capsules of banned drugs. The minister highlighted the success of the coordinated efforts between the state Excise and Police departments in curbing the smuggling of illicit liquor in the state. Attributing the success of the 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign to the support of the people, he expressed gratitude to the citizens of Punjab for their cooperation and assistance in the war against drugs and illicit liquor trade. Meanwhile, In a major action under the campaign, Commissionerate Police Jalandhar on Sunday demolished illegal constructions made by drug smugglers in Lakhanpal village, a locality long notorious as a major drug hotspot. This came a day after Moga Police with the help of district administration on Saturday demolished four "illegally" constructed houses of notorious drug smugglers in Daulewala village of Moga. According to an official statement, Jalandhar Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur said that Lakhanpal village, traditionally infamous for rampant drug sale and supply, had been under close surveillance. Acting swiftly, a joint team of the Panchayat Department and Jalandhar Commissionerate Police razed unauthorized structures built on government land by known drug peddlers. The action, focused on cutting the roots of the drug network, marks a significant step in reclaiming the area from the clutches of narcotics, the statement said. Police investigations revealed that the primary accused who encroached the government land, Hardeep Singh alias Deepa, a history-sheeter, had nine cases registered against him, including seven under the NDPS Act. Dhanpreet Kaur said the demolished encroachment was being misused by drug peddlers to cross over rooftops and escape during police raids.
