The implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) could do away with the blockages at border checkposts as well. The GST Council has set up a task force to ensure seamless movement of freight across the country and reduce losses to the economy due to frequent stoppages, report Surojit Gupta and Sidhartha .
Studies have shown that delays at the checkposts cause an estimated loss of $6.6 billion to the economy, while trucks spend 10% of their total driving time waiting at checkposts.
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Sources said the proposed task force would comprise officers from the finance and transport departments of some states, the ministry of road transport and highways and the department of revenue.
It is expected to submit its report to the council, which may call for a meeting of the state finance and transport ministers to discuss the issues and decide on the mechanism for “seamless road connectivity”. Among the options available is the “Vahan” database for generation of bills by the GST Network, the IT backbone which will manage GST.
ET Auto, 18 March 2017
