GST Seva Kendras Andra Pradesh to have Biometric Aadhaar Authentication

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister delivered a virtual address on November 16, 2023, at the Bhoomi Pooja and Foundation Stone laying ceremony of GST Bhavan, Tirupati CGST Commissionerate. The new GST Bhawan symbolises the Central Government’s commitment to improving infrastructure and tax administration efficiency.

Shri Sanjay Malhotra, Secretary of the Department of Revenue, also participated virtually in the ceremony. Shri Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC); Shri Vivek Ranjan Zonal Member, CBIC; Shri Sanjay Pant, Chief Commissioner CGST and Customs, Vishakhapatnam Zone; Shri Shishir Bansal, ADG, CPWD Hyderabad Region, and other senior officers of the Department, State Government, and Senior Management of Trade and Industries were also present.

In her speech, Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman thanked the CGST and Customs Vizag Zone for the Bhoomi Pooja and infrastructure building and encouraged the zone to continue its exceptional revenue earning.

The Union Finance Minister emphasised the importance of assisting taxpayers and stated that the State of Andhra Pradesh has received approval for biometric-based Aadhar authentication through GST Seva Kendras. Tirupati Commissionerate got Rs. 8,264 crore in GST revenue last year and Rs. 5,019 crore by September 2023.

The Commissionerate has made significant progress in recent years, with an outstanding 300 % boost to the GST regime. The manufacturing of passenger vehicles, cement, and automotive batteries is a major contributor to this remarkable growth.

Throughout his virtual address, Shri Malhotra, while acknowledging the Tirupati Commissionerate’s Bhoomi Pooja and acknowledging the various infrastructure-related projects undertaken by CBIC, stated that revenue growth and law enforcement should go hand in hand and that all matters pertaining to prosecution should be expedited and brought to a logical conclusion in a timely manner. Shri Malhotra also urged all staff to maintain focus on the taxpayers’ grievance redressal mechanism.

During his speech at the event, Shri Sanjay Kumar Agarwal praised the hard work of departmental officers and emphasised CBIC’s efforts to construct infrastructure assets for the benefit of personnel. Shri Agarwal praised the CBIC team for increasing the government’s revenue, saying that the increased GST and Customs collections demonstrate their dedication to reducing tax evasion and plugging revenue leakages, particularly by discovering fake ITC.

In regard to CBIC infrastructure building, Shri Agarwal stated that in the last five years, 54 projects for office construction worth approximately Rs. 2,200 crore and 9 proposals for residential quarter construction total approximately Rs. 640 crore have been sanctioned. These are large numbers, and the CBIC is constantly monitoring the projects to ensure that they are completed on time.

In his address, Zonal Member Shri Vivek Ranjan stated that revenue for the CGST Tirupati Commissionerate has increased from Rs. 2,815 crore in FY 2017-18 to Rs. 8,275 crore in FY 2022-23, representing a nearly threefold increase and a 19.7% CAGR.

Similarly, the taxpayer base has expanded dramatically over the last six years, from Rs. 22,400 (as of 31.10.2017) to Rs. 57,481 (as of 30.10.2023), representing an increase of 2.5 times or a spectacular CAGR of 17 %.

According to Shri Ranjan, the Commissionerate’s contribution to the Zonal revenue collection has increased from 26 % to 36 % during the last six years. Similarly, the Tirupati Commissionerate taxpayer base as a percentage of the zonal basis has expanded from 29 % to 33 % over the last six years.

Tirupati Central GST Commissionerate is responsible for facilitating economic operations and ensuring compliance in Tirupati and its neighbouring regions. The new office block will not only provide a modern workplace for dedicated authorities, but it will also improve the entire taxpayer experience. The Tirupati CGST Commissionerate office building will be constructed by CPWD at a cost of Rs. 36.11 crore and will be completed in 18 months.

After construction is completed, the building will house the Tirupati CGST Commissionerate Office, Tirupati CGST Divisional Office with local ranges, Tirupati Audit Circle, Customs Preventive Division and PAO Office, as well as the departmental officers Guest House.

Chief Commissioner Shri Sanjay Pant also emphasised the zone’s growth in revenue and focus on the construction of infrastructure.