The government has announced relaxation in the e-way bill mechanism: these won’t be required for consignments moved within 50 km from the place of origin. Earlier, it was mandatory to generate e-way bill on the common portal by suppliers or recipients for moving goods worth Rs.50,000 over a distance of more than 10 km. Ahead of the GST Council meet on Saturday, the government has tweaked several other features of the e-way bill system, aimed primarily at reducing the compliance burden. Among other relaxations, a supplier or recipient of goods can now generate the bill even after the movement of cargo, a change from the earlier system when it was mandatory to do so before transportation began. It is essential to simplify various procedures for e-way bill generation and usage so that businesses do not spend excessive time on compliance. These changes are in that direction and will benefit business.

(Financial Express)