NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on Monday launched 'e-Office' in over 500 GST and customs offices that will help improve governance by automating the internal processes of handling files.
The launch of the application marks a fundamental change in internal office procedures that are so far based on manual handling of files and paper movement.
"The CBIC expects e-Office would complement its many other (information technology) IT-led reforms that are directly aimed at enhancing the ease of doing business for the trade and industry," an official statement said.
The e-Office application, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), enables online file-related work, starting from receiving and marking dak, operating a file, preparing a draft letter, its approval and signature and dispatch of the signed letter.
CBIC Chairman M Ajit Kumar launched the e-Office application in over 500 central GST and Customs offices pan-India.
"Over 50,000 officers and staff will use this application, making CBIC one of the largest government departments to automate its internal office procedures," the statement added.
The launch of e-Office is one more measure taken by the CBIC in leveraging technology for providing a faceless, contactless and paperless indirect tax administration.
E-Office aims to improve governance by automating the internal processes of handling files and taking decisions within the government.
It would lead to speedier decision making, transparency, accountability, and positive impact on the environment by cutting down the use of paper and printing, the statement added.
The e-Office would help avoid contact with physical files, thereby preventing possible transmission of coronavirus.
It would ensure enhanced security as no file or document can be altered or destroyed or backdated.
An in-built monitoring mechanism would identify where the files are held up enabling quick disposal and faster decision making, the statement added.