The Punjab Excise and Taxation Commissioner (ETC), Jitendra Jorwal, has assured the Punjab Tax Bar Association (PTBA) that all pending GST and VAT refund cases up to September will be cleared in the coming days. Following this assurance, the PTBA and associated trade bodies have withdrawn their statewide protest call scheduled for December 12.
Jorwal said the department has already released GST refunds worth Rs 680 crore so far this fiscal. Of this, Rs 120 crore was cleared in December alone, and an additional Rs 350 crore is expected to be released shortly. "Only cases requiring further scrutiny are being held, and the backlog will be cleared as soon as the documents are verified," he said.
The assurance came after a high-level meeting held in Chandigarh between PTBA office-bearers, trade organisations and the ETC to discuss the long-pending refund issues impacting businesses across the state. Representatives highlighted the severe hardships faced by traders due to delayed refunds and stressed the need for time-bound and transparent disposal of pending files.
Based on the ETC's commitment, the PTBA confirmed the withdrawal of its protest and expressed hope that the government would honour its promise. The association urged the department to ensure timely refunds to prevent further inconvenience to traders and tax professionals across Punjab.
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