CII hails e-way bill launch for inter-state movement of goods

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Friday welcomed the launch of the e-way bill system for inter-state movement of goods under goods and services tax (GST), saying it will pave the way for widening of the tax base, reduce logistics costs and faster movement of goods.
Under the GST provisions, transporters are required to carry an electronic way bill when moving goods value exceeding Rs 50,000. E-way bill provisions have been implemented for inter-state movement of goods from 1 April to check tax evasion and boost revenues.
The major relief to industry and business is in hassle-free movement of goods across state borders under GST by removing the state barriers, which is a milestone for improvement in ease of doing business, CII said.
It is expected to help the transporters who does not have to stop at checkpoints and generate challan while crossing the state border, it added.
For intra-state movement of goods, e-way bill will be applicable from 1 June, 2018 in a phased manner.
Under the new rules, if both exempted and taxable goods are moved, only the value of the taxable supply will be considered for the purpose of generating an e-way bill.
“This will provide relief to the industry, especially FMCG companies that move all kinds of goods together,” the industry body noted.