New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS): The Centre on Friday urged businesses to prepare for implementing the e-way bill for inter-state transportation of goods under GST from February 1, terming it an efficient use of Information Technology.

In a tweet, Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia also said that asking traders and transporters to generate the e-way bill online is not "Inspector Raj".

"Asking traders and transporters to generate E-way Bill on-line and carry it, is not 'Inspector Raj'; it is just 'efficient use of Information Technology'," Adhia said.

"Let us all prepare for the February 1 deadline for e-way bill for inter-State transportation of goods."

For a seamless movement of goods across states, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, earlier this month, decided to go for early implementation of the e-way bill for inter-state movement of items from February 1, and uniform mandatory compliance from June one next year.

An e-way bill is required for movement of goods worth more than Rs 50,000.

The nationwide e-way bill system will be ready to be rolled out on a trial basis latest by January 16, 2018. Trade and transporters can start using this system on a voluntary basis from January 16, 2018, a Union Finance Ministry statement said here after a meeting of the GST Council held through video conference.