A heated war of words is unfolding between the current Finance Minister Mari Wilson and former Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu over Tamil Nadu’s GST growth.
When reporters asked Finance Minister Mari Wilson about GST growth, he said that while Thangam Thennarasu had been saying there was no growth in Tamil Nadu and that GST revenue was turning negative, it has grown by 3.2 percent in October.
There had been a decline since November 2025. But now we have recorded growth in October. This growth has happened because of the Chief Minister’s efforts. Even now, they are saying there is no growth, he said.
In response to this, Thangam Thennarasu, the current Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu, has tried to reply as usual without even considering what was stated in my post.
In my post itself, I clearly pointed out that this year’s GST tax revenue in the month of October has increased by only 3%.
At the same time, I also pointed out that the overall increase in tax revenue is due to the tax revenue generated from imports, and not from tax revenue earned through the state’s own production.
He responded that we must acknowledge the fact that, compared with the revenue growth of neighboring states, we are lagging far behind, and that the government should try to find ways to boost the state’s own production and sales for economic development and job creation, rather than trying to apply a cosmetic remedy to a wound, which is of no use.
What did Thangam Thennarasu say about GST?
Earlier, in his X post, Thangam Thennarasu had said that Tamil Nadu, which was one of India’s leading states in economic growth, is continuing to face a decline under the TVK government, which is worrying.
In October GST tax revenue, neighboring states grew in double digits—Kerala by 23%, Andhra by 24%, Karnataka by 18%, and Telangana by 14%—while Tamil Nadu lagged behind with just 3% growth.
Although there has been some increase in the state’s total tax revenue due to taxes collected from certain key goods imported into Tamil Nadu, the tax revenue earned through our own production continues to decline. I wish to point out to the TVK government that this should be regarded as an indicator of the overall economic stagnation prevailing in the state.
Therefore, I had posted that the TVK government must immediately find ways not to rely solely on revenue from imported goods, but to increase our own production and boost sales to other states and foreign countries, thereby raising Tamil Nadu’s overall economy and creating job opportunities for our youth, and I strongly urge this as well.
