AAP Government’s Commitment to Transformative Changes Boosts Punjab’s Tax Revenue: Harpal Cheema
Net collection from GST, Excise, VAT, CST, and PSDT from April to February reflects a growth of 12.10%, with a 28.01% growth in net GST in February.
Increases Tax Revenue by Broadening GST Base, Enhancing Compliance, and Extending Support to Honest Taxpayers, Says Harpal Singh Cheema.
Criticizes SAD-BJP and Congress-led Previous Governments for Lack of Effective Fiscal Management and Political Will to Curb Tax Evasion.
Chandigarh, March 2:
Punjab Finance, Excise, and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema proudly announced on Sunday that since assuming power in March 2022, the AAP-led Punjab Government has implemented transformative changes with unwavering honesty and transparency, resulting in a consistent increase in tax revenue year after year. He highlighted that the net collection from GST, Excise, VAT, CST, and PSDT up to February this fiscal year reflected a growth rate of 12.10% compared to the same period in FY 2023-24, with an impressive 28.01% growth in net GST collection during February 2025.
Revealing this in a press statement issued here, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated that this fiscal year has continued the upward trend seen in previous years, with notable growth rates across all major taxes. The growth rates include 13.39% in net GST , 14.43% in Excise , 5.10% in VAT , 17.03% in CST , and 13.65% in PSDT up to February compared to the same period in FY 2023-24. He further added that the total net collection from these taxes up to February this fiscal year amounted to Rs 38,272.66 crore , compared to Rs 34,141.36 crore during the same period last fiscal year, registering an increase of Rs 4,131.30 crore .
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Substantial Growth in GST and Excise Revenue
Highlighting the significant growth in GST revenue for the last month, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema noted that the net GST collection during February 2025 reflected a notable increase of Rs 506.26 crore . The net GST collection for February 2025 amounted to Rs 2,313.69 crore , compared to Rs 1,807.43 crore in February 2024. Additionally, he mentioned the commendable rise in Excise revenue, with February’s collection reaching Rs 686.47 crore , an increase of Rs 30.47 crore from Rs 656 crore collected in February last year.
Initiatives to Improve Tax Revenue
Pointing out the initiatives taken to enhance the state’s tax revenue, the Finance Minister said that the Excise and Taxation Department has adopted a two-pronged approach: broadening the GST base by running drives to bring unregistered businesses under GST and enhancing compliance among registered taxpayers. The department has also extended every possible support to honest taxpayers.
He highlighted innovative schemes like the “Bill Liyao Inaam Pao Scheme” , which incentivizes citizens to demand bills and promotes transparency in transactions. Additionally, the department has actively involved school and college students to spread awareness about taxation among the younger generation, fostering a culture of compliance from an early age.
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Criticism of Previous Governments
Lambasting the previous Akali-BJP and Congress-led governments , Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused them of failing to boost the state’s tax revenue due to ineffective fiscal management and a lack of political will to curb tax evasion. He emphasized that these governments not only failed to tighten the noose around tax evaders but also burdened honest taxpayers with unnecessary financial strain.
In contrast, Finance Minister Cheema reiterated the AAP-led Punjab Government’s unwavering commitment to honesty, transparency, and transformative changes , which have yielded remarkable achievements in tax revenue growth. These efforts have strengthened the state’s financial resources without placing undue pressure on honest taxpayers, ensuring sustainable development and improved public services.
The Finance Minister concluded by reaffirming the government’s dedication to maintaining fiscal discipline and continuing its progressive policies to further enhance Punjab’s economic growth and prosperity.
