Punjab launches GST Prime portal and SIPU for effective tax compliance

Laying a strict compliance mechanism, the Punjab government has launched State Intelligence and Preventive Unit (SIPU) and GST Prime portal. The GST Prime is an analytical tool for state GST officers to analyse and monitor the tax collection and compliance in their jurisdiction. The GST Prime portal will help in better tax monitoring by tax officials and enhanced compliance by the taxpayers.

According to the Punjab Finance and Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema who launched the new State Intelligence and Preventive Unit (SIPU), the existing mobile wings of the taxation department at Amritsar, Bathinda, Fazilka, and Shambu in Patiala, Ludhiana and Jalandhar have been now converted to State Intelligence and Preventive Units (SIPUs), besides creating 3 new SIPUs.

“The three new SIPUs will be at Madhopur in Pathankot, Mohali and Central Unit at Head Office, Patiala. The Central Unit and SIPUs will work directly in coordination with Tax Intelligence Unit, Patiala,” the minister said in a statement.

Cheema maintained that the new system caters to the requirements of the field-level offices and enforcement and intelligence offices to identify the defaulters and tax evaders. “The system acts as an interface between GST Common Portal and E-way Bill Systems and tax administrators,” he said.

The move is seen as a crackdown on tax evaders and will help in effective tax compliance while identifying tax defaulters. The new mechanism will also help in creating a database of taxpayers and identification of taxpayers for audit and inspection to detect frauds.