The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs allotted Rs 2,256 crore for Project Saksham, an IT project to combine the Central Board of Excise and Customs' systems with the GSTN for the April 2017 GST rollout. Project Saksham aims to improve the CBEC's IT systems while keeping existing taxpayer services running as the number of taxpayers increases from 36 lakh currently to over 65 lakh after GST introduction. It also seeks to enhance ease of doing business and facilitate trade through initiatives like the Indian Customs Single Window Interface.

2. GST PROJECT SAKSHAM

4. PROJECT SAKSHAM
 Project ‘SAKSHAM’, which is said to be the new indirect tax network
(systems integration) of the Central Board of Excise and Customs
(CBEC), which has been approved by the Cabinet Committee.
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi allotted a total of Rs 2,256 crore for this IT project
Saksham, which will combine CBEC’s system with the GSTN for the
upcoming GST rollout in April deadline.

5. Main Highlighting Significance of the
PROJECT SAKSHAM
 At the instant, there are about 36 lakh taxpayers, importers, exporters and
dealers under several indirect tax laws administered by Central Board of
Excise and Customs (CBEC). The number is likely to go up to over 65
lakh after the introduction of GST.
 Extension of the Indian Customs Single Window Interface for Facilitating
Trade (SWIFT)

6.  Ease of Doing Business of Central Board of Excise and Customs and
taking major initiatives under Digital India
 For Project Saksham, the IT systems of Central Board of Excise and
Customs(CBEC) will be completed by April 1, 2017, when GST is to be
introduced.
 The IT systems will get improved while the ongoing taxpayer services will
be kept running.

7.  Further, CBEC has implemented the Indian Customs Single Window
Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT) and is integrating another partner
agencies involved in Customs clearance in order to make the process
comfortable and fast.

8.  Taxpayers have to be provided a facility for Upload of Digitally Signed
Scanned Documents in order to decrease the physical interface with tax
authorities and to increase the speed of clearance.
 Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) also aims to introduce
mobile services for taxpayers and departmental users to increase the
outreach of its services.
READ MORE @ PROJECT SAKSHAM FOR GST