Govt hikes limit of e-way bill for intra-state movement to Rs 1 lakh

Kolkata: State Finance and Industry minister Amit Mitra said on Thursday that the state government has increased the threshold limit to Rs 1 lakh for the electronic-way or e-way bill in case of movement of goods within the state, from the existing limit of up to Rs 50,000.

He further announced that the generation of such bill for an intra-state movement of goods is being exempted, where goods are being sent to job workers.

"The e-way bill with regard to movement of goods within the state originating and terminating within Bengal (intra-state movement but without passing through any other state), would be required where the consignment value exceeds Rs 1 lakh. Such limit is up to Rs 50,000 in other states. We have raised the limit keeping in mind the interest of our small traders," Mitra said at the Kolkata Garment Expo 2018, organised by Bengal Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Traders Welfare Association.

Quoting the notification that was issued by the Commissioner of State Tax, Bengal on Thursday, Mitra added: "Generation of e-way bill for an intra-state movement of goods is exempted where such goods are being sent to a job worker for job work, being sent from one job worker to another, or are being returned to the principal after such job work and where such transportation is not for final delivery of the finished goods."

It may be mentioned that the Central government had launched the e-way bill system from April 1, for moving goods worth over Rs 50,000 from one state to another and the same for intra or within the state movement was rolled out from April 15 in a phased manner. Such a bill is required when the value of taxable consignment, along with the tax value, is more than Rs 50,000.

The Finance minister also announced a textile hub at Nangi in Maheshtala, South 24-Parganas, on a land of nine lakh sq ft, for facilitating garment manufacturers and traders and a common facility centre would also be set up.

According to him, nearly 30,000 artisans and entrepreneurs, including organised and unorganised sectors, have been working in Metiabruz, a hub of garments and apparel manufacturing in the state that generates over 5 lakh jobs.

Mitra reiterated that the Mamata Banerjee government is leaving no stones unturned to bring the unorganised sector under an organised set-up so that they get better margins and manufacture products of export standards.

"The common facility centre will house design, laboratory and other facilities for facilitating the manufacturers," Mitra added. In Metiabruz, 90 percent small entrepreneurs and artisans are unorganised.

According to him, bank lending to MSMEs in the last year was Rs 44,000 crore, exceeding the target of Rs 38,000 crore in the state.