Excise collection has shown an increase of more than 20 per cent manifesting a turnaround in the economy. The realisation from income tax too moved up by 21 per cent. However, on the negative side corporate tax collection slid by 3.16 per cent on account of huge refunds by the revenue department during the course of six months.

Tax collections during the six months mounted to Rs 68.986.81 crore compared with Rs 60,869.17 crore during the corresponding period last fiscal, showing an increase of 13.34 per cent.

During September, tax realisation totalled Rs 18,702.31 crore compared with Rs 15,809.84 crore in same month last year, registering an increase of 18.30 per cent.

On the indirect tax side, excise duty collection during the month was Rs 4,952.91 crore -- an increase of 17.88 per cent over September 1998.

As far as six-month period was concerned, the excise realisation increased by 20.40 per cent to Rs 26,972.31 crore.

The customs duty collection with a figure of Rs 4,041.11 crore has grown by 17.26 per cent in September over the same month in 1998. Customs realisation in the first six months of the current financial year now stands at Rs 22,191.08 crore.