Rising GST mop-up an outcome of improved compliance: CBIC chairman

'When drawing up Revised Estimates in January, we are confident of exceeding projections based on overall collections'

The buoyancy in the goods and services tax (GST) collections will continue in the remaining part of the year, according to SANJAY KUMAR AGARWAL, chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). In conversation with Shrimi Choudhary at his office in North Block, he attributes the rise in collections to improved compliance. Agarwal, who assumed office last month, expresses confidence in surpassing the budgetary target for central GST (CGST) collection in 2023-24 (FY24). He also expects the gap in excise duty mop-up to narrow in the remaining part of the year. Edited excerpts:

Rs 1.6 trillion appears to