Chairman, CBIC Holds Trade Interaction Meeting in Mumbai on GST Reforms and Ease of Doing Business

Mumbai, 23 October 2026

As part of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) continued nation-wide outreach following the 57th GST Council meeting held on 8 Oct 2026, a Trade Interaction was organized today by the Central Goods & Services Tax (CGST) & Central Excise, Mumbai zone in Mumbai. Approximately 150 representatives from taxpayers, various trade associations and chambers across Maharashtra attended the event.

The meeting was chaired by Shri Vivek Chaturvedi, Chairman, CBIC, in the presence of Shri Sanjay Mangal, Member (GST), CBIC, Ms. Prachi Saroop, Principal Chief Commissioner, CGST & Central Excise, Mumbai Zone and Shri Asheesh Sharma, Commissioner of State Tax, State GST, Maharashtra. Senior officers of the Central and State GST administrations, and representatives of leading trade associations and industry bodies were present.

Discussions centred on the recent recommendations of the 57th GST Council Meeting and key developments in the GST framework. Some of the reforms discussed included simplified registration, faster system-based processing of refunds without officer intervention, simplified returns, measures to reduce litigation, streamlined procedures for inter-state movement of goods and easier compliance for small sellers and exporters. Measures like withdrawal of arrest powers and increasing threshold for prosecution to reduce coercion and foster a partnership between taxpayers and government were also highlighted. 

Addressing the gathering, Shri Vivek Chaturvedi, Chairman, CBIC, emphasised on the underlying philosophy of “trust first, verify later” behind the next-generation process reforms. He highlighted the council’s resolve to improve the taxpayer experience, reduce friction points and promote ease of doing business. 

Shri Sanjay Mangal, Member, CBIC highlighted various measures being undertaken by the Board to make compliance easier. He further added that changes brought in the GST council meeting would be brought in phases and relevant circulars and notifications would be issued in due course.

Shri Asheesh Sharma, Commissioner, State GST, also interacted with the taxpayers and underlined the importance of building trust between taxpayers and the department. He highlighted the steps being taken to reduce physical interception and increase trust. 

Industry representatives shared their queries and offered suggestions on a range of GST-related issues. Senior officers responded to the queries raised and assured that the suggestions received would be duly examined.

The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of the GST administration to a responsive, transparent and taxpayer-friendly tax administration, with continued focus on voluntary compliance and ease of doing business.

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PIB Mumbai | Nitin Fulluke/Darshana Rane

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