CBIC Begins Using e-Office in all CGST and Customs offices

 To : Members of the Council

Sub.: CBIC Begins Using e-Office in all CGST and Customs offices

Dear Member,

We are pleased to inform you that Shri M. Ajit Kumar, Chairman, CBIC has launched the e-Office application in over 500 CGST and Customs offices across India on 15th June, 2020. Nearly 800 senior officers of CBIC including Dr. Neeta Verma, DG, National Informatics Centre, (NIC) were present at the launch of the application. In this regard, the Ministry of Finance has issued a Press Release dated 15th June, 2020.

The e-Office is a Mission Mode Project (MMP) under the National e-Governance of India. It has been developed by the NIC and is supported by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG). 

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 launch of e-Office marks a fundamental change in internal office procedures which is so far based on manual handling of files and paper movement. It is one more measure taken by the CBIC in leveraging technology for providing a ‘Faceless, Contactless and Paperless’ Indirect Tax administration. CBIC expects e-Office would complement its many other IT led reforms which are directly aimed at enhancing the ease of doing business for the trade and industry.

Relevance of e-Office application- 

• Aims to improve governance by automating the internal processes of handling files and taking decisions within Government. 

• It’s main module, eFile enables on-line file related work, starting from receiving and marking dak, operating a file, preparing a draft letter, its approval/signature and dispatch of the signed letter.

• The use of e-Office by the rank and file of the CGST and Customs officers in their day to day work would lead to speedier decision making, transparency, accountability, and positive impact on the environment by cutting down the use of paper and printing. 

• Helps avoid contact with physical files thereby preventing possible transmission of any virus. 

• Ensures 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.