Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh has recorded a steep jump in Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections, with annual revenue swelling more than seven times to nearly Rs 1,900 crore in 2023-24 from just Rs 227 crore in 2017-18, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said on 19 September.
Addressing a Bharatiya Janata Party programme on GST reforms in Namsai district, Mein credited the surge to improved digital access, simpler registration procedures and a sustained drive to bring small enterprises into the formal economy.
The number of registered taxpayers more than doubled during this period, rising from 7,365 in 2017 to 18,477 by mid-2025. Mein noted that the additional revenue has helped fund critical projects such as road construction, healthcare expansion, educational improvements and welfare schemes.
Mein added that a new round of GST reforms, scheduled to take effect on 22 September, will further boost development. Lower levies on medicines, farm machinery, handicrafts and tourism services are expected to cut costs across sectors and directly benefit residents.
Earlier in the day, Mein joined the Rashtriya Poshan Maah (National Nutrition Month) programme in Chongkham alongside Namsai MLA Zingnu Namchoom and Nari-Koyu MLA Tojir Kadu. The event highlighted the importance of dietary diversity, fortified foods and real-time monitoring to enhance nutrition for women and children.
