Arunachal CM Pema Khandu leads GST awareness drive in Roing

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and local MLA Mutchu Mithi, took to the streets of Roing town on Thursday to engage directly with traders and business owners as part of a statewide awareness initiative on the newly launched Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms.

The campaign, aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rollout of the Next-Gen GST reforms on September 22, 2025, seeks to highlight the consumer-friendly and business-oriented benefits of the new system. According to CM Khandu, the reforms are designed to make essential items such as medicines, farm machinery, and handicrafts more affordable, thereby directly benefitting households and small enterprises across Arunachal Pradesh.

Sharing the state’s progress under the GST regime, Khandu noted that Arunachal Pradesh has witnessed a remarkable growth of over 700% in GST collections since its inception. The state’s collections rose from ₹227 crore in 2017–2018 to nearly ₹1,900 crore in 2023–2024. Similarly, the taxpayer base has expanded significantly, from around 7,000 registered taxpayers in 2017 to nearly 18,500 by mid-2025 — a development he attributed to digital outreach and simplified registration.

Deputy CM Chowna Mein, leading the “GST Bachat Utsav” campaign, urged traders to ensure that the financial benefits of the reforms are passed on to consumers. He emphasized that increased revenue collections have already translated into visible development across Arunachal, funding projects in road connectivity, healthcare, and education.

Khandu reiterated that sustained awareness campaigns like these will strengthen the partnership between government, businesses, and citizens, further cementing Arunachal Pradesh’s role in India’s GST success story.