Excise and customs collections during the period totalled Rs 72,700 crore as against the targeted Rs 82,160 crore. The excise target was set at Rs 45,030 crore whereas the total collection was Rs 39,800 crore. The customs target was lower at Rs 37,130 crore with actual collections at Rs 32,900 crore.

However, in January alone the collections have shown a buoyancy as compared to the same period of last year, with excise collections at Rs 4,754 crore showing an 18 per cent growth compared to the same month last year. Customs collections at Rs 3,633 crore grew at a modest 4 per cent.

According to revenue officials, this was the first time in the current fiscal that customs recorded a positive growth. The customs collection was down by 16 per cent during December 1998 as compared to the corresponding month last year.

Excise collections from the west zone, comprising Mumbai andVadodara, stood at Rs 18,385 crore during the 10-month period, with collections in January alone at Rs 2,139 crore. The south zone, comprising Hyderabad and Chennai, collected Rs 10,236 crore with Rs 1,148 crore in January. The north zone, comprising Allahabad and Delhi, mopped up Rs 10,449 crore with the collection in January at Rs 1,145 crore. The Calcutta zone contributed Rs 3,188 crore during the April-January period with Rs 320 crore collected in January.

Customs collections from the west zone stood at Rs 17,654 crore in April-January, with collections in January at Rs 2,154 crore. The south zone contributed Rs 7,933 crore with collections in January at Rs 757 crore.

The north zone contributed Rs 4,362 crore with collections in January at Rs 450 crore. The east zone contributed Rs 2,989 crore, of which Rs 272 crore was collected in January.

The total tax collections, including income tax, during the 10-month period totalled Rs 104,700 crore, registering a growth of 7 per cent over the taxes moppedup during the corresponding period last year.

The excise collection target for 1998-99 is Rs 57,000 crore while the customs target has been set at Rs 47,000 crore.

Officials attributed the buoyancy in tax collections, especially positive growth in customs, to better compliance, besides signalling an economic recovery. Revenue officials said the indirect tax shortfall is expected to be curtailed at Rs 10,000-odd crore compared to the actual shortfall of Rs 16,000 crore in the last fiscal.