The 4th Anniversary of GST - Weekly newsletter from Chairman, CBIC dated 01/07/2021

Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs
North Block, New Delhi-110001
Tel. No. +91-11-23092849, Fax : +91-11-23092890
E-mail : ajit.m@gov.in

Date: 01st July 2021

D.O.No.76/CH(IC)/2020

Greetings on the occasion of the 4^th Anniversary of GST.

On 1st July, 2017, during the historic midnight session of Parliament, our country found itself at a decisive turning point in its indirect tax regime. It showed courage to chart an altogether new course. Taking the route of cooperative federalism in a manner without parallel in the world, the session brought into force a new regime which merged a plethora of taxes into one, with a dual levy by both the Centre and the States. We have come a long way in the 4 years since that epoch making day to making the slogan ‘One Nation, One Tax, One Market’ a reality.

The evaluation of any tax regime will have to be based on the impact it has had on the taxpayer and its contribution to revenue. Despite the incidence of tax coming down substantially, a uniform set of laws across the length and breadth of the country, simpler procedures, seamless credit across state borders and the voluntary compliance and faith shown by the taxpayers has led not only to a much more tax payer friendly regime but also one which has shown a steady increase in revenue collection over the last four years. Remarkably, GST collection has consistently crossed more than Rs. 1 lakh crores for the last 8 consecutive months, reaching a peak of Rs. 1.41 lakh crore during April, 2021, setting new records in revenue collection.

The handholding of taxpayers by the field formations, the relentless action against fraudsters by the intelligence directorate and the anti-evasion wings, the expeditious sanction of refunds to the taxpayer through special drives, the ‘Work From Home’ access to GST officers and implementation of e-Office in view of Covid-19 and the Covid-related relief measures, especially to smaller taxpayers and MSMEs, have been some of the notable achievements in recent months.

At the centre of this journey has been the resilient taxpayer. He has not only accepted the reforms and the tremendous changes brought in with the roll out of GST and adapted to the new regime quickly but has also been able to weather the storm of the covid pandemic with admirable grit and determination. As a token of appreciation, CBIC is felicitating more than 54,000 taxpayers who have made substantial contribution in terms of payments of GST in cash while filing their returns on time. The certificates of appreciation are being communicated by GSTN.

The Board, on the occasion of the 4th GST Day celebrations, has also awarded commendation certificates for outstanding work to 32 officers and staff, including one officer posthumously. I congratulate these awardees. Apart from the awardees, the hard work and efforts put in by each one of you across the cadres even during the difficult times of the Covid pandemic is praise worthy.

On the occasion of GST Day, the Hon’ble Finance Minister has released a booklet Shraddhanjali’ which is a compilation of heart-felt messages received from family members, friends and colleagues as a homage to the 189 personnel of CBIC who have lost their lives in the line of duty due to the pandemic. The department will always be grateful for their contribution and their devotion to duty. We stand with their families in these difficult times. We thank the Hon”ble Finance Minister for her good wishes and a very motivating message.

GST is the perfect and most shining example of Cooperative Federalism in the country. It is driven by the spirit of a common objective for the benefit of the nation as a whole. I extend. on the occasion of its fourth anniversary, on behalf of the Board and on my personal behalf, a sincere thanks and greetings to you and to all the stakeholders, especially the taxpayers.

Yours sincerely

(M. Ajit Kumar)

To,

All Officers and Staff of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Custom