Itanagar, June 12: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, who also holds the Finance, Tax, Excise & Narcotics portfolio, chaired a detailed review meeting of the Department of Tax, Excise & Narcotics at his Secretariat Office on Thursday. The meeting focused on evaluating GST performance, revenue collection, and strategies to improve tax compliance in the state.

During the session, Mein directed officials to intensify efforts in registering all eligible firms, especially in the hospitality sector such as hotels, restaurants, and resorts that fall under the GST threshold. He called for awareness drives and outreach programmes in partnership with the Arunachal Chamber of Commerce & Industries (ACCI) to educate stakeholders on the benefits of GST registration.

To ensure consistent progress, he instructed the department to conduct monthly reviews of performance metrics related to GST compliance and revenue collection.

Highlighting the benefits of GST, the Deputy CM noted that the reform has streamlined indirect taxation by unifying central and state levies, reducing cascading effects, and fostering a more integrated national market. Arunachal Pradesh adopted the GST system on July 1, 2017, and has since seen a steady increase in both its taxpayer base and revenue.

The number of registered taxpayers in the state has grown from 7,365 in 2017-18 to 18,477 in the current financial year, reflecting a 151% rise. GST revenue collections have also increased significantly from ₹227.94 crore in 2017-18 to ₹1,825.87 crore in 2024-25.

In the excise sector, revenue collection stood at ₹299.36 crore for 2024-25, marking a 46.62% increase over the previous fiscal year.

To enhance taxpayer support, the department has set up 16 GST Seva Kendras across key locations, equipped with biometric systems for Aadhaar-based authentication and physical premise verification to prevent fraudulent registrations.

Mein reiterated the state government’s commitment to modernising the tax administration system, promoting transparency, and building a tax-compliant ecosystem for sustained economic development.

The meeting was attended by Commissioner (Finance, Tax, Excise & Narcotics) Y W Ringu, Advisor to DCM Captain Anupam Tangu, Commissioner (Tax, Excise & Narcotics) Lobsang Tsering, Commissioner (CGST & CX) Shyam Kanu Mahanta, OSD to DCM Tseng Tsing Mein, President of ACCI Tarh Nachung, and President of Arunachal Tax Consultant Federation Tarak Eha, among others.