Nagpur, 16 October 2026

 

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) organised a stakeholder outreach programme in Nagpur on October 16, 2026, to discuss the GST procedural reforms and key measures recommended at the 57th meeting of the GST Council. 

CBIC Chairman Vivek Chaturvedi and CBIC Member (GST) Sanjay Mangal interacted with GST taxpayers and representatives of trade and industry to explain the recent policy changes and seek feedback on their implementation.

Sandeep Puri, Chief Commissioner, CGST, Customs and Central Excise, Nagpur Zone, along with senior officers of the Central and State GST administrations, was also present. The interactive session provided a common platform for the department and stakeholders to exchange views, address concerns and offer suggestions on recent GST policy changes. The programme reflected CBIC’s commitment to ease of doing business, transparency and a taxpayer-friendly GST regime.

Addressing the gathering, the CBIC Chairman said that GST has evolved into an important instrument for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. He emphasised that rationalisation of tax rates alone was not sufficient and that procedural reforms were equally important to reduce compliance difficulties faced by honest taxpayers. He highlighted several key procedural reforms recommended by the GST Council at its 57th meeting, aimed at simplifying compliance and improving the taxpayer experience.

The key reforms highlighted included the proposal to withdraw arrest-related provisions under the GST law, raising the threshold for prosecution, automated system-based refunds, reducing points of human intervention in tax administration and introducing stricter controls on vehicle inspections. Under the proposed framework, vehicle inspections would require authorisation from an officer not below the rank of Joint Commissioner. The officer would be required to have valid reasons for authorising the inspection and record those reasons in writing. Vehicle inspections would be permitted only in the originating State and the destination State.

The CBIC Chairman and Member (GST) also outlined the proposed framework for centralised administration of GST taxpayers under the Central Government and the introduction of faceless assessment. They stated that the draft framework for the initiative would soon be placed in the public domain for comments and suggestions from stakeholders. They encouraged representatives of trade and industry to actively participate in the consultation process.

More than 140 representatives participated in the programme, including members of the Nag Vidarbha Chamber of Commerce (NVCC), Vidarbha Industries Association (VIA), Vidarbha Tax Practitioners Association (VTPA), chambers of commerce, trade bodies, industry associations, the Steel Manufacturers Association, major taxpayers and professionals.

During the open-house session, participants appreciated the GST Council’s ongoing reform initiatives and sought clarifications on recent GST reforms, including matters relating to registration, GST rates and other policy changes. The queries were addressed by the CBIC Chairman and Member (GST).

Following the interaction with trade and industry representatives, the CBIC Chairman and Member (GST) held a separate interactive session with CBIC officers posted in the CGST Nagpur Zone.

 

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PIB Nagpur | Saurabh Khekde/Darshana Rane

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