GST Data To Give AP’s Real-time Economic Growth Picture
He revealed that an AI-based system uses GST data from manufacturing units, along with e-way bill information, to account for movement of goods into and out of the state. District-wise heat maps enable collectors to drill down to individual units and assess their contribution
VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh is developing a real-time economic monitoring system using GST and commercial tax data to track sectoral activities and estimate Gross Value Added (GVA) figures, Commercial Taxes department chief commissioner A. Babu said on Thursday.
Addressing the 8th Collectors’ Conference, he explained that the GST-based assessment shows manufacturing activity has grown 19.6 per cent year-on-year till July, against about 18 per cent in the first quarter, with manufacturing GVA estimated at ₹1.75 lakh crore.
This estimate is closely aligned with the Planning department’s First Advance Estimates, with a variation of only 0.6 percentage points, Babu underlined.
He revealed that an AI-based system uses GST data from manufacturing units, along with e-way bill information, to account for movement of goods into and out of the state. District-wise heat maps enable collectors to drill down to individual units and assess their contribution.
The chief commissioner said as GST returns are generally filed between the 18th and 20th of each month, the system could provide an early indication of economic activity in the preceding month, paving the way for monthly forecasting.
A similar methodology for construction, based on 65 HSN categories including cement, iron and steel, has estimated GVA at ₹1.25 lakh crore, against ₹1.29 lakh crore by the Planning Department.
Babu said the system is being extended to trade, hotels, restaurants, real estate, communication, and broadcasting, while mining and electricity would be covered in the next phase.
He underlined that the initiative will strengthen the MSME database, as of the 20.08 lakh identified MSMEs, 2.42 lakh are GST-linked. He revealed that the department plans to combine GST, electricity consumption, and NIC-code data to track unregistered units and identify inactive businesses for possible revival.
