By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, January 1, 2020: Odisha has registered a low two per cent growth in collection of the goods and services tax (GST) in December 2019 as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Incidentally, West Bengal registered 16 per cent growth in GST collection compared to 15 per cent in Chhattisgarh and 11 per cent in Andhra Pradesh during the period.

Odisha’s GST collection during December 2019 is pegged at Rs 2383 crore against Rs 2347 crore in December last year, according to official data released by the union ministry of finance. Sources said the state may not achieve its total revenue collection target of Rs 45,000 crore because of the marginal growth in GST collection and from other sectors.
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Economic slowdown and decline in mineral revenue collection are largely attributed to the marginal growth in GST collection in the state. Jharkhand, another mineral-bearing state, recorded negative growth of 3 per cent in GST collection.

Other states with high volume GST collection recorded more than 10 per cent growth include Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

Pan India, the GST revenues during the month of December 2019 has recorded 16 per cent growth over the revenue during the month of December 2018.

Poor growth in GST collection remains a cause of concern for the state government.