E-way bill system launched

9 states and one Union territory have rolled out the e-way bill system under the goods and services tax from February 2018.

Industry executives are concerned that the e-way bill system, an electronic way of tracking the movement of goods, may give tax authorities in the states powers to harass businesses in case of small instances of non-compliance even though it was designed to eliminate state-wise documentation and ensure faster transit of goods by doing away with checkposts at state borders.

The central and state tax authorities decided to move ahead with the measure, suspecting massive tax evasion under the new indirect tax regime that was implemented from 1 July.