GoM proposes April 1 date for e-way bill rollout

NEW DELHI : The group of ministers to address technology issues related to goods and services tax (GST) has recommended mandatory use of e-way bills to track inter-state movement of goods from April 1, even as it failed to resolve differences between a committee led by Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani and tax officials on a simplified mechanism for filing returns.
Bihar deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, who heads the GoM, said the panel has suggested that intra-state movement should be included in the new electronic tracking system in a staggered manner. "We will take four-five states together for intra-state movement," Modi said. GST Council, headed by finance minister Arun Jaitley,will finalise the details next month.

E-way bills for shipment of all goods above Rs 50,000 is seen to be a crucial tool to check evasion by tracking shipments from factories to showrooms, which authorities believe is rampant as the GST Council suspended the implementation of several measures due to protests from traders. GST Network, which provides the technology backbone, was forced to postpone the mandatory use of e-way bills after the system could not cope with the pressure when the new mechanism was launched on February 1. Now, the system is being scaled up to handle up to 75 lakh e-way bills on a daily basis.