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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, April 29, asked the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) to increase the taxpayer base and introduce an automated GST return scrutiny system by next week.

The total Indirect Tax collections for the 2022-23 fiscal stood at Rs 13.82 lakh crore, up from Rs 12.89 Lakh crore in 2021-22.

The average gross monthly GST collection for 2022-23 stood at Rs 1.51 lakh crore and monthly GST revenue collections exceeded Rs 1.4 lakh crore for 12 months in a row.

In a review meeting with the CBIC, Sitharaman desired that the indirect tax body may undertake a comprehensive root cause analysis of fake billing and input tax credit claims by studying the typology of cases already booked and come up with recommendations on technology-based solutions to address the menace and prevent its occurrence. The review meeting was attended by the Revenue Secretary; CBIC Chairman and board members.

“The Finance Minister directed CBIC to introduce its automated GST return scrutiny by next week and to implement an action plan to increase the taxpayer base through enhanced use of technology,” a finance ministry statement said.

The Finance Minister emphasised the need for continuously improving taxpayer services. For grievance redressal, Sitharaman desired that in each Zone interaction be organised with members of trade and industry who are part of the GST ecosystem to know their issues and suggestions to systematically identify matters for working out redress for them.

She also directed to put in place a system to take feedback on grievances redressed to improve the quality of redressal, the ministry said.

The comprehensive review covered a variety of work areas, including trade facilitation, taxpayer services, grievance redressal of the trade; finalisation of disciplinary cases and infrastructure projects, and progress of the upcoming Palasamudram campus of the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics (NACIN).