No more paperwork: CBIC converts all GST & Customs offices into e-Office from today

The move will bring transparency and efficiency in the administration of tax system in the country as a digital file or digital record created in the system can never be destroyed or deleted, an official told ETV Bharat.

New Delhi: In a major step in the direction of making its functioning completely paperless, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Monday converted all its GST and Customs offices across the country into electronic offices or e-office, ending the old practice of creating physical files and its movement from table to table.

The move will bring transparency and efficiency in the administration of tax system in the country as a digital file or digital record created in the system can never be destroyed or deleted, an official told ETV Bharat.

The apex body that administers a nationwide common goods and service tax (GST), Customs and Excise duties, among others, said the e-Office would enable more than 50,000 tax officers to use this automated platform in 500 GST and Customs Offices spread across the country.

Electronic Office, or e-Office as it is commonly known, aims to improve the functioning of government machinery by automating the internal processes of handling files and taking faster decisions.

An electronic file, which is the main module of this automated system, will start from receiving and marking the Dak, operating a file, preparing a draft letter, its approval and obtaining signature of the concerned official and its eventual dispatch as a signed letter.

“It will take some time for the officials to get familiar with this completely digital mode of working but once an e-File is created on an issue then there will not be two files for the same – a physical file and an e-file,” another official told ETV Bharat.

However, according to sources, the department may not convert classified files into e-files as the CBIC also deals with sensitive tax evasion cases and enforcement issues such as taking action against the use of fake GST invoices that have been used to fraudulently claim input tax credit (ITC) under the GST, other similar frauds and tax evasion tricks.

With the launch of e-Office, the CBIC has become one of the largest government department in the country to automate its working.

Electronic files to reduce the threat of deadly Coronavirus

Due to Covid restrictions and social distancing norms, the CBIC Chairman Ajit Kumar virtually launched the facility in presence of Director General of National Informatics Centre (NIC) Neeta Verma, and other senior CBIC officers who attended the launch ceremony through a video link.

However, the launch of e-Office in over 500 offices also means that the threat of transmission of deadly coronavirus through movement of files will be eliminated.

The highly infectious virus has killed more than 9,500 people in the country and over 4,36,000 people all over the world. One of the reasons behind the rapid transmission of Sars-CoV-2 virus was surface transmission where a carrier passed on the virus to the surface of objects touched by it. The virus, which can survive outside a host from few hours to a few days, infected another person when came in contact with the infected object.

“E-Office would help avoid contact with physical files thereby preventing possible transmission of any virus,” the CBIC said, adding that it was extremely relevant in the challenging situation caused by the outbreak of Covid-19 global pandemic.

Digital Files follow Document Identification Number

In November last year, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs implemented a major transparency initiative when it decided that every single document created within the department will have an unique number – DIN or Document Identification Number.

It empowered any user or taxpayer to immediately cross-check and verify whether a tax notice or search memo issued by an officer of the department was genuine or not.

“The launch of e-Office is one more measure in leveraging the technology for providing a faceless, contactless and paperless indirect tax administration,” the CBIC said.

The CBIC said the use of e-Office in day-to-day work would lead to faster decision-making, transparency, accountability, and positive impact on the environment by cutting down the use of paper and printing.

Creating Tamper Proof Records

“One of the unique features of e-Office is that once a digital document is created then no file or document can be altered, destroyed or backdated,” said the board.

An in-built monitoring mechanism would also identify where the files are stuck. This feature will enable senior officer to monitor the progress of a file and enable faster decision-making and quick disposal of the issue.

The e-Office is a Mission Mode Project (MMP) under the National e-Governance Project of Union Government.

(Article by Krishnanand Tripathi)