To study and analyze the impact of e-way bill & GST on unorganized trucking industry

Abstract

The business environment in India is changing at a very fast pace. Besides new regulations, greater opportunities are being provided for entrepreneurs to rise and enter into business as a lot of previously informal sectors are now being controlled and formalized. One of them is the logistics industry. Almost $ 17 Billion of India’s GDP is lost in transit due to the poor condition of the transport industry either in places where there is a lack of basic transport infrastructure or due to a lack of government support in transaction of businesses. Un-skilled drivers who are forced to drive long hours, with little or no rest, and are provided very little compensation for the same often man the trucks that ply the roads. But the development of this industry was severely hampered by the presence of varying rates of Sales Tax, Octroi and tons of other taxes which increased the cost of transportation. Therefore, it was imperative that the government bring out a new law whereby this rules could be standardized and a common rate could be charged across the states. This led to the birth of the Goods and Services Tax. One of the procedures under the new law called Central Goods and Services Act, 2017 pertains to the practice of generation of an Electronic Bill or an E-way Bill, whereby all the details pertaining to the transaction are noted and less load is put on the driver who is transporting the material. Through this study we have spoken with drivers, analyzed the existing regulatory environment and overall tried the understand how has the change in law, changed the lives of these drivers.