Chandigarh, Feb 18 (PTI) Punjab's Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday said that the Excise and Taxation Department has carried out targeted GST registration drives to broaden the collection base, resulting in the addition of 46,338 new taxpayers in 2023-24 and another 33,000 in this fiscal till December 2024.

"A state-wide campaign has also been launched to educate taxpayers on filing procedures, ITC claims, and compliance benefits," he said in an official statement here.

Cheema said that the state GST department initiated another GSTR registration drive in January 2025, visiting approximately 48,000 new dealers and on-boarding around 10,500 eligible dealers across Punjab.

He said that various community engagement methods were employed during the registration drive, including awareness camps, meetings with market and industry associations, and interactions with professionals such as Chartered Accountants (CAs), advocates, and accountants.

Highlighting the initiatives taken to promote tax compliance among consumers, the finance minister said that the department has extended the "Bill Liyao Inaam Pao Scheme" and sought the active involvement of school and college students to spread awareness among the younger generation.

He said the scheme has successfully imposed penalties worth Rs 8.15 crore on non-compliant taxpayers and rewarded 4,106 consumers with Rs 2.45 crore for uploading their purchase bills on Mera Bill app.

"To increase tax revenue from registered dealers, the department has ensured proper GST filing and compliance, with 93 per cent of registered taxpayers consistently filing returns on time. The department has also penalised tax evaders, collaborated with IIT Hyderabad to integrate advanced data analytic tools, and implemented adjudication and scrutiny modules to prevent revenue leakages," said the finance minister.

Cheema emphasised that expanding the GST tax base is crucial for improving revenue, reducing tax evasion, and ensuring a fair taxation system.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Cheema inaugurated three crucial IT-based financial modules aimed at bolstering financial transparency and efficiency in the state, alongside ensuring the welfare of pensioners, an official statement said.

While inaugurating the Pensioner Sewa Portal (PSP), the finance minister highlighted the Punjab government's unwavering commitment towards pensioners, it said.

The minister emphasised that this digital platform is designed to provide a comprehensive range of pension-related services.

"This portal will facilitate the seamless processing of pension disbursement cases from treasuries to banks, reduce delays in pension payments, offer real-time case tracking, and ensure efficient grievance handling," said Cheema, adding that the extensive database within PSP will further assist the state in making informed decisions for the welfare of pensioners. PTI SUN HVA

GST base expansion through targeted registration drives increases compliance and strengthens revenue protection measures via IT integration. Targeted GST registration drives expanded the tax base by onboarding numerous previously unregistered dealers through outreach and professional engagement, supported by taxpayer education on filings and ITC claims. The department combined consumer incentive schemes and penalties to enforce compliance, maintained high on-time return filing rates, and integrated advanced data analytics along with adjudication and scrutiny modules to detect revenue leakages and strengthen revenue collection.