Chandigarh, Dec 24: Punjab recorded robust growth in tax collections during 2025–26, driven by improved enforcement and data-based monitoring, Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Cheema said Tuesday.
GST revenue rose 16.03% to Rs 17,860.09 crore up to November 2025, an increase of Rs 2,467.3 crore compared to the same period last year, while excise collections climbed 8.64% to Rs 7,401 crore, Cheema said.
“Focused enforcement and the use of advanced data analytics have strengthened revenue collection across sectors,” the minister said.
He said steady collections were maintained even after GST rate rationalisation in September 2025, which reduced tax rates on essential goods. VAT and CST collections amounted to Rs 5,451.76 crore, posting a 3.35% year-on-year rise.
Cheema said the Excise Policy 2025–26, with a target of Rs 11,020 crore, is progressing well after the department achieved a record Rs 10,723 crore in excise revenue in 2024–25. He said enforcement teams registered 3,860 FIRs and made 3,795 arrests to check liquor smuggling and illegal distillation.
The minister said the One-Time Settlement Scheme-2025 has yielded Rs 52 crore through the settlement of 3,574 cases. “Our Tax Intelligence Unit has recovered Rs 344.06 crore in taxes and penalties, while action against GST non-filers resulted in Rs 2,185.96 crore in cash deposits,” he said.
Penalty collections by State Intelligence and Preventive Units rose to Rs 618.53 crore between April and November 2025, compared with Rs 321.03 crore in the previous fiscal year, Cheema said, adding that training programmes for over 5,000 officers have strengthened safeguards for sustained revenue growth.
