The 8th anniversary of GST will be celebrated tomorrow, July 1, at Tagore Theatre, Thiruvananthapuram, under the leadership of the Central Tax, Excise & Customs Zone. The event honors Kerala’s national recognition in GST administration and will feature actor Mohanlal as the chief guest.
Kochi : To mark the completion of eight years since the implementation of GST under the “One Nation, One Tax” vision, the Central Tax, Central Excise & Customs Thiruvananthapuram Zone will organize GST Day celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram on July 1. This was announced by Chief Commissioner S.K. Rahman during a press conference. The event will be held today at 4 PM at Tagore Theatre, Thiruvananthapuram, and will be inaugurated by Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal. Renowned film actor Mohanlal will attend as the chief guest. Commendation certificates will also be awarded during the event to GST department officials who have shown outstanding performance and to taxpayers who have made timely payments.
Based on exemplary performance in GST administration, the Thiruvananthapuram Zone has been selected by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) as the Best CGST Zone in the country. The zone received awards for processing 55% of GST registration applications within seven days and resolving 83% of GST appeals. The national average for processing registration applications is 17%, which the Thiruvananthapuram Zone has significantly surpassed, Rahman added.
The Chief Commissioner also noted that the Thiruvananthapuram Zone has made notable progress in tax collection. Compared to previous years, GST revenue collection has increased by 18% and Central Excise revenue by 14% in the first two months of the 2025–2026 financial year. In the same period of 2024–2025, GST collections stood at ₹3,238 crore and Central Excise at ₹4,433 crore. These figures have risen to ₹3,826 crore (GST) and ₹5,056 crore (Central Excise) for 2025–2026. For the full financial year 2024–2025, GST collection totaled ₹18,371 crore and Central Excise revenue reached ₹26,824 crore.
This year’s GST Day theme is “Tax Simplification and Empowerment of Citizens.” The Thiruvananthapuram Zone comprises the Kozhikode, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram Commissionerates. Leading up to the GST Day, several programs were organized under the commissionerates’ leadership, including GST conclaves, taxpayer interactions, awareness campaigns, a cycling marathon in support of the Fit India Movement, and competitions like painting, poetry, quiz, and essay writing for school students. Additionally, help desks led by experienced officers were set up in all three commissionerates to resolve taxpayer grievances. Over 200 complaints have been addressed during this period, Rahman noted.
