Vivek Johri, Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), has said that Rs 1.5 lakh crore in goods and services tax (GST) collection has become the new normal and that the Board is confident that it will cross this figure in the coming year.
The gross GST revenue collected in January 2023 was Rs 1,55,922 crore. This was for the third time, in the current financial year, GST collection has crossed Rs 1.50-lakh-crore mark. The GST collection in January 2023 is the second highest next only to the collection reported in April 2022.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, CBIC Chairman Vivek Johri said, “We can assume an average monthly GST collection of Rs 1.45 lakh crore to Rs 1.5 lakh crore.” He added, “Rs 1.5 lakh crore has become the new normal and we are confident that we will cross this figure in the coming year.”
Johri said, “We have definitely increased the National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD) on cigarettes, there has been an increase of about 16 per cent.” It has been increased because cigarettes are demerit goods, he said, adding that its consumption has a bad effect on health.
Therefore, the amount of its import or the amount of smuggling also depends on how the rest of the assets are behaving in comparison to gold for investment, the chairman said, adding that there are many factors that affect the smuggling and import of gold.
“Whatever data comes through the bill entry of importers or comes in the data system through the manifest of passengers, we use analytics on that,” he added. Johri said the Board targets the passengers or cargo which they think are risky and through this, they were able to make very good cases “and have been successful in stopping smuggling.”
