Surat: A biometric system for GST registration, currently operational in Surat and Vapi, will likely expand nationwide. The system mandates that business applicants undergo fingerprint verification and verify their business location before receiving a new GST number. This action aims to curb frequent issues of bogus billing in South Gujarat and is likely to become a standard procedure across India.

The system requires the applicants to upload all necessary documents and provide their fingerprints at the GST office. The fingerprints are matched with Aadhaar records. Following this, a GST officer visits the business location for verification. Only after these steps, a new GST number will be issued. This process ensures that the business and its location are legitimate.

The GST department introduced this measure in response to numerous bogus billing cases, where companies were registered under the names of labourers, tea stall operators, and rickshaw drivers, making it difficult to trace the actual culprits. These fraudulent activities resulted in income losses for the GST department.

An official announcement regarding the nationwide rollout of this system is expected during an upcoming GST Council meeting. DeshGujarat