NEW DELHI: Nearly Rs 1,600 crore in GST refunds, pending since 2019, will be released before Diwali, enabling traders to celebrate the festival with greater joy and prosperity, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday.
A special meeting of the Department of Trade and Taxes (GST) was convened in this regard, which was attended by the GST Commissioner, Finance Secretary and other senior officials of the department.
During the meeting, the CM accused the previous government of failing to take any concrete measures towards the settlement of this long-pending amount. She issued directions that the refund be disbursed to traders before Diwali.
To make the refund process faster and more transparent, the Delhi GST Department, in collaboration with IIT-Hyderabad, has developed an advanced IT module. This system, based on data analytics and expedited verification, will ensure quicker settlement of refund applications, providing timely relief to traders, she said.
Gupta instructed the officials to ensure that all pending, undisputed, and genuine refund applications are processed in accordance with the relevant rules, and that the task be completed on a priority basis.
She said that timely refunds would ensure liquidity for traders, reduce their litigation costs, and collectively accelerate Delhi’s economic growth.