E-way bill from Feb 1 to go with GST
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 10 2018:
Following the introduction of Goods and Service Tax (GST) in the State from July 1 last year, e-way bill system will be implemented in the State from February 1, to effectively monitor the import of goods into the State.
According to information received by The Sangai Express, numerous businessmen have been transporting truck loads of goods and products into the State unchecked after most of the checkposts at Hengbung, Jiribam and other locations were phased out after GST was implemented in the State.
It pointed out that after the e-way bill system is implemented, the Taxation Department will strictly monitor the trade activities of the businessmen and begin checking whether the taxes of the goods have been paid or not.
The Department will also check whether the businessmen bringing in-the goods from outside the State, posses the necessary e-way bill generated by the consignee (the seller/ origin of the product).
As the e-way bill will be uploaded to the GST portal, officials of the Taxation Department can easily view all the necessary details like amount of goods, total costs and whether the necessary taxes have been cleared or not.
This will discourage the businessmen from bringing in goods and products into the State unethically or without paying necessary taxes, it added.
Beginning February 1, the officials of the Taxation Department will conduct random checking of the goods brought into the State along the two main National Highways-Imphal-Dimapur road and the Imphal-Jiribam road.
The source pointed out that the Department will also launch inspection drive at various godowns/warehouses in Imphal as well as other places, to ascertain the nature of the goods as well as verify the stage of tax payment.
It also mentioned that the Department will take up necessary legal actions against the businessmen as well as the drivers of the trucks, in case no e-way bills from the consignee are found.
Pointing out that around 800 dealers and traders have registered for GST ever since it was implemented in the State from July 1 last year, the source claimed that the Department's officials conducted a survey and found that the number of traders and dealers registering for GST has been increasing steadily.
If the trend continues, the number of GST registered traders will exceed the initial target of 10,000 GST registered dealers by March 31 (the end of the financial year 2017-18).It will also generate extra revenue for the State, the source added.
It may be mentioned that after GST was implemented in the State, the Taxation Department ramped up its processes in connection with the new tax system.
A Central GST Commissionerate office was also established at Imphal on December 28 last year.