Pre-budget breather: GST collection crosses Rs 1 trillion in January

Enhanced revenue from GST would help govt reduce pressure on the fiscal deficit in the current financial year when the ministry is expecting a shortfall of about Rs 50,000 crore in Centre

The goods and services tax (GST) collected in January has crossed Rs 1 trillion, the finance ministry informed through social media on Thursday, a day before Union minister Piyush Goyal presents the interim Budget. This is the third instance of GST revenue crossing the trillion mark in the 2018-19 financial year, the first two being in April and October 2018.
 
Sources said the positive trend in the data has been considered in projecting the revised estimate of GST revenue for 2018-19 and the Budget estimate for 2019-20. Enhanced revenue from GST would help the Centre red­uce pressure on the