Indore: Addressing the major demand of traders and exporters to release their GST refund, the state goods and service tax (SGST) department cleared refund claims worth Rs 96.46 crore. The department had launched special 15-day drive to redress grievance of businessmen. Though the special drive concluded on Monday, the refund drive will continue.
After Goods and Service Tax came into force from July 1, 2017, traders and particularly exporters were complaining about the persistent delay in refunds. Responding to their complaints, the SGST department organised special GST refund drive under the guidance of SGST Commissioner Dr Pawan Kumar Sharma from June 1 to 18 in the state.
Dr Dharmapal Sharma, joint commissioner and nodal officer for a special drive, said 3,832 manual refund applications were received in which the applicants demanded refund worth Rs 145 crore. After verification of the cases, 3129 refund applications worth Rs 96.46 crore were approved. In all, 23 applications were rejected. NS Maravi, director, SGST department said that remaining complaints will be resolved soon.
Under special drive, 170 refund awareness camps were organised at all 87 circles of the department in the state. Minimum two camps were organised in each circle. The camps were organised on June 4 and June 8 in the city. In these camps, the businessmen and tax consultants gained information about refund process and submitted the manual refund application to the department. Refund applications were resolved in the camps. Under the special drive, refund claims of SGST, cess, excess tax payment, ITC and inward duty structure were cleared.