GST Registration Made Easier: FM's Tech Push

New Delhi, Jun 20 (PTI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday asked CBIC to make the GST registration easier, seamless, and more transparent for taxpayers, using technology and risk-based parameters.

Sitharaman, who chaired the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Conclave with the Principal Chief Commissioners, Chief Commissioners and Director Generals of the field formations, reviewed the performance of Customs and CGST zones on key indicators.

During the conclave, she directed the zones to prepare an action plan to improve various parameters, such as GST registration, processing of refunds, and handling taxpayers' grievances.

The finance minister also directed the CGST formations to launch targeted awareness campaigns among taxpayers, trade associations, and industry bodies regarding the mandatory documentation required for GST registration, particularly those related to the principal place of business, the finance ministry said in a statement.

This would help reduce rejections and delays in registration and enable faster processing of applications, she said.

She also directed CGST Zonal Heads to have a dedicated helpdesk for GST registrations to facilitate the taxpayers in the application process.

The finance minister also highlighted the need to ensure that GST Seva Kendras and Customs Turant Suvidha Kendras are well-staffed, accessible, and properly maintained so that taxpayers receive timely and quality assistance.

Emphasising taxpayer trust, she called for a targeted and sustained focus on grievance redressal, ensuring the timely resolution of queries and complaints through improved systems and accountability.

Sitharaman also underlined the need for the speedy closure of investigations for Customs and CGST cases, and exhorted for an analysis on detection and recovery and to seek solutions to reduce the gap between detection and recovery.

At the same time, she emphasised the need to prevent tax evasion and wrongful input tax credit (ITC) claims.

The CBIC was asked to expedite the processing of GST and Customs refunds to ensure timely redressal and ease of doing business, especially for MSMEs and exporters.

Hailing that CBIC ranks in the top five out of 90 Central Ministries/Departments in CPGRAMS performance since February 2024, she underscored the importance of promptly addressing public grievances received through CPGRAMS.

The finance minister suggested that the CGST and Customs zones may dedicate teams to further expedite the resolution of grievances.

She asked the Customs to reduce dwell time at seaports, airports, and Inland Container Depots (ICDs) for both imports and exports and emphasised that faster cargo clearance is crucial to enhance India's global trade competitiveness and ease of doing business.

Taking note of pending disciplinary matters, the minister directed that disciplinary proceedings against the officials at different levels be concluded expeditiously in a time-bound manner.

The CBIC was also urged to fill all vacant posts at the earliest across various levels to strengthen field formations and enhance administrative efficiency.

Sitharaman encouraged Chief Commissioners and DGs to actively undertake trade facilitation measures within their jurisdictions and submit actionable suggestions to CBIC Headquarters for further streamlining of procedures.

The meeting was also attended by Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava and CBIC Chairman Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, and senior officials of the Department of Revenue.