New Delhi, Jan. 1 -- A strong growth in imports helped the central and state governments collect Rs.1.75 trillion in Goods and Services Tax (GST) receipts in December before adjusting for refunds, a 6.1% improvement over the year-ago period. After refunds, GST revenue receipts stood at Rs.1.46 trillion, 2.2% more than the receipts in the year-ago period.

A near-20% annual growth in Integrated GST (IGST), which is levied on imports, to Rs.51,977 crore in December suggests robust external trade flows as a large part of the imports go into export production. IGST is levied on imports to make sure that it is taxed at the same level as domestically produced goods that are subject to GST. It is the basic customs duty (BCD) that is levied over ...