Punjab Finance, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Cheema on Wednesday said the state recorded a 24.45 per cent increase in GST collections during the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year. The government also disbursed Rs 1,270 crore in GST refunds to improve business liquidity.
Cheema said gross GST collections rose to Rs 7,833.45 crore during the April-June quarter, compared with Rs 6,294.57 crore in the corresponding period last financial year, registering an increase of Rs 1,538.88 crore.
He said Punjab also recorded 9 per cent SGST cash growth, compared with the national average of 3 per cent. The minister attributed the higher collections to sustained economic activity, better tax compliance and administrative reforms in the Excise and Taxation Department.
“The growth of over Rs 1,538 crore in GST and Rs 242 crore in VAT/CST collections demonstrates the effectiveness of the state’s revenue mobilisation strategy and the strengthening of Punjab’s fiscal position,” Cheema said.
Reiterating the government’s zero-tolerance policy against tax evasion, Cheema said penalties worth about Rs 633 crore were imposed and recovered during the first quarter, a 207 per cent increase over the Rs 207 crore recovered during the same period last year.
In June alone, penalties amounting to Rs 225 crore were imposed and 20 FIRs registered against alleged bogus taxpayers involved in fake invoicing and fraudulent registrations.
The minister said the department also conducted property auctions during June to recover long-pending VAT dues, resulting in the recovery of about Rs 14 crore in arrears.
