🔊 Take a moment and listen

The Department of Commercial Taxes and Excise has undertaken multiple IT initiatives to help traders avail crucial services digitally to minimise interface with the tax administration authorities, making service delivery more efficient. The Principal Secretary, Department of Commercial Taxes and Excise, Manoj Shrivastava, tells Vishwas Dass of Elets News Network (ENN) about some of the initiatives undertaken

Have IT initiatives been instrumental in strengthening citizen-centric services in Commercial Taxes and Excise Department?

In the Commercial Taxes and Excise Department, services like registration for Value Added Tax (VAT), Entertainment Tax and TIN application, filing and assessment of business turnover, etc., have been made online. Once the trader files an online application, he immediately gets a registration number for further processing. Besides, we have also introduced e-registration and e-stamping facility for the convenience of traders. The Department has provided the facility of downloading statutory forms online as well. All mandatory declarations for movement of goods and statutory forms are automatically generated with no human intervention.

The State Government has also started online payment of taxes, which was launched in 2005-06. People have been making payments through the Department’s web portal since November 2012. That apart, the dealers have also been enabled to download Waybill (e-Gatimaan) sending one SMS from their mobile number, which even does not require internet connection.

Are you also planning to roll out mobile app-based services for traders?

We have launched android-supported mobile applications for dealers to request Waybills, verify Waybills, verify statutory forms (C, F, H,E-1 and E-2 forms) issued by the Department and check status of the returns filed by dealers and various other applications submitted to the Department. The mobile app has been instrumental in helping traders save their time to avail the crucial services, unlike in the past. With the advancement of technologies and increasing internet penetration, mobile app-based services have become a need and certainly a boon for the people not only in urban areas but also in rural clusters.

A smart city is a city where people get all kinds of services on one platform and where all the crucial citizencentric services are available online

What digital facilities are available to dealers and traders currently?

As of today, we have provided online facilities for application of new registration for VAT, CST, LEAAT and PT, amendments in registration, tax clearance certificates, filing returns under all Acts administered by the Department and making payments, among others. Besides, downloading of Waybills for inter-state transaction through road transport and railways have also been introduced. Other initiatives include facility to view transactions performed through his account, verification of TIN, Waybills and statutory forms, enrolment of transporters and transhipment transporters.

What according to you is a real smart city? What is your opinion on the proposed 100 Smart Cities initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi?

A smart city is a city where people get all kinds of services on one platform and where all the crucial citizen-centric services are available online. Commercial taxes, excise, registration and stamps department is not directly related to the common people but to the business fraternity. The Department has already taken multiple IT initiatives to improve web based services for the traders and introduce more services related to commercial taxes, which a smart city must facilitate. If people start availing most of the services through internet, it would be a real achievement for the Government functionaries.

Be a part of Elets Collaborative Initiatives. Join Us for Upcoming Events and explore business opportunities. Like us on Facebook , connect with us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter, Instagram.