FROM APRIL 1 NEXT: Punjab to introduce online VAT refund

Chandigarh, December 13, 2012: The Punjab government has decided to introduce online payment of VAT refunds from April 1, 2013 to bring transparency in the process of refunds besides expediting them. It has been also decided to create a monthly dedicated corpus of Rs.150 crore in Excise and Taxation department for hassle free refunds and every month this corpus would be replenished as per withdrawal from the corpus.

The Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal announced this while presiding over the meeting of State Consultative Committee of Excise and Taxation department here today.

He said that Punjab is all set to introduce total computerization in Excise and Taxation Department within one year and it has already started the services like e-filing, e-payment, e-permit, e-pass and e-billing and now department has moved for integration of all IT related services to provide better facilities to the dealers and industrialists in a big way.

Badal said that he has issued directions that payment through checks should be stopped as it leads to corruption and every payment should be done to the dealers through online banking. Similarly, the department should also accepts receipts of all taxes through online banking as there was no reconciliation of cheques sent for clearing or collection to various banks.

Badal said that on the suggestions of VAT dealers he has created a corpus of Rs.150 crore with Excise and Taxation department and government would keep on replenishing the corpus as per withdrawal during that month to ensure uninterrupted and hassle free refund to the VAT dealers.

Announcing to star categorise the VAT dealers, Badal said that VAT dealers as per their record of compliance would be categorise to one star to five star category and five star dealers would get priority in all services provided by the department.

Introducing a new concept of honouring highest tax payers in every city, Badal said that he has asked the department to organize the function to honour highest tax payers in specially organised functions so that other people would be motivated to pay their taxes honestly.

In a novel scheme to motivate consumers to seek bill of every purchase to safeguard their rights, Badal said that he has asked the department to put up drop boxes in all 143 towns of the state in which consumer after purchasing goods from any shop, can drop the bill after writing his name, address and mobile number on the overleaf of the bill. He said that from the bills collected in each city a monthly draw would be conducted and lucky consumers would be given attractive prizes.

Seeking cooperation of general public to check the sale of illicit liquor in the state, Badal said that Excise & Taxation department would start a 24x7 toll free number in which anybody could complain about sale of illicit liquor and department would take deterrent step to check that.

Stressing upon the need for proper compliance of tax, Badal said that with 100% compliance we can increase the base of tax payers thereby reducing the tax rate.

Prominent amongst those who participated in the meeting included Sarup Chand Singla, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Pargat Singh, Surinder Singh Bhullewal, Daljit Singh Cheema, all MLAs (SAD), Jagmohan Singh Kang, Balbir Singh Sidhu, all MLAs (Congress), D.P Reddy, Principal Secretary, Excise and Taxation, K Venuparsad, Commissioner Excise and Taxation and Ajay Kumar Mahajan, Special Principal Secretary to Deputy Chief Minister.