Bihar - e-governance in VAT administration to rein in corruption: Modi

Successful implementation of e-governance in VAT administration would help prevent tax evasion besides checking corruption and Bihar government was trying its use in tax administration to make it more developed and viable, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister S K Modi said today. Modi was speaking at the inauguration of a workshop on 'e-governance in VAT administration' jointly organised here by International Finance Corporation(World Bank Group) and the state commercial taxes department. The workshop was attended by senior officials of commercial tax departments of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha and Kerala, besides Bihar. He said only 37 traders had done e-filing when e-governance was implemented by the NDA government in Bihar in 2007. "Now the number of traders submitting e-payment and e-returns have increased to about 7,000." "We are still trying to make e-governance in tax administration more viable and developed," he said urged traders and officials to change their mindset. "We will be able to implement e-governance in tax administration thoroughly in Bihar by March 2012," he added."