The GST collection in Delhi for Q1 of the Financial Year 2023-24 has witnessed 15% growth comparing the same period in the last fiscal year.
The Delhi Government shared the data where they mentioned that the GST collection in the first quarter of an FY has increased by over 81% since 2018-19 when the new tax regime on goods and services was introduced.
Between April 1, 2022, and 30th June, 2022, the GST collection by the government was 6,985.05 crore. For this financial year, the collection for the same period has increased to 8,028.91 crore. The GST collection in the Q1 of 2018-19 was recorded at Rs. 4,419.71 crore.
Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi, shared the GST collection data on Twitter and said that some governments say that they don’t have enough money to invest in public welfare or open good schools and hospitals. Praising his government he further added that this is the result of honest governance as Delhi’s GST collection in Q1 has increased at a 15% rate from last year which is a significant rise. The government will build more schools, hospitals, and better infrastructures.
Collection from both GST and Value Added Tax (VAT) has contributed to Delhi’s huge revenue. As the national capital collected Rs. 34,200 crore from GST and VAT in 2022-23, the collection for this financial year is expected to be Rs. 37,200 crore. Additionally, the aggregate revenue collection of the Delhi Government under different heads in the FY 2023-24 is expected to be around Rs. 53,565 crore.
During a press conference, Minister Atishi said that the government under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal has set an example of honesty for the entire country. She added, with the good intention the government will never face any shortage of funds and the record growth in GST collection is proof of that.
The minister continued, even without imposing new taxes on the public, Delhi’s budget spending has been constantly increasing for the past eight years. Also, the budget of the national capital in 2014-15 was Rs. 30,000 crore, which doubled in five years to Rs. 60,000 crore in 2019-20 without imposing any new tax. It is further expected to increase to Rs. 78,800 crore in 2023-24.
The Minister further said that it is questionable if a government says they are running out of funds. It indicates someone else’s pocket is warmed with the public’s money.
Efforts were made to further increase the GST collection. Surveys and inspections had also been conducted to stop tax evasion practices, detect fake registrations, and nab the fraudsters. Separate teams have been deployed on state borders to catch unauthorised vehicles and confiscate them in case they are caught violating GST provisions.
