Infosys and the Challenges in Handling the GST Portal

The Indian government's implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) reform has brought about a significant shift in the nation's tax system. In 2015, the multinational technology services and consulting company Infosys was awarded a 5-year contract worth Rs.1380 crore to develop the IT system for this landmark tax reform. However, the company has faced criticism due to glitches in the GST network, leading to an array of technical problems and operational challenges for taxpayers during the peak tax and return-filing period.

Technical Glitches and Criticism

Despite its role in developing the GST portal, Infosys has experienced technical issues with the network, which has led to public and governmental criticism. These glitches not only affected the operation of the portal but also caused inconvenience to the taxpayers who had to deal with these technical hiccups during their filing periods.

Infosys' Response and Efforts

In response to the criticism and the operational challenges faced by taxpayers, Infosys has taken several measures to address the issues. The company has stepped up its efforts to fix the internal bugs in the portal and has deployed additional IT experts and engineers in states across the country to stabilize the performance of the GST filing portal.

A significant milestone was reached when the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) announced the resolution of 18 out of 27 functionalities that were required to be resolved by Infosys, achieving 66.7%. According to a statement released after the third meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on October 28th, Infosys continues to make progress in stabilizing the system.

Future Outlook and Security Measures

The ongoing efforts of Infosys are aimed at ensuring that the system returns to normal operation, allowing taxpayers to perform their operations seamlessly. With a continued focus on addressing the remaining issues and improving the performance of the GST portal, there is hope that the system will become more reliable and user-friendly for all stakeholders.

Conclusion

The challenges faced by Infosys in handling the GST portal highlight the complexities involved in implementing such a large-scale tax reform. However, the positive progress made so far indicates that with the right strategies and support, the system can be optimized to benefit the entire tax ecosystem in India. As the company continues to work on these issues, it is crucial that stakeholders collaborate to ensure the effective and efficient deployment of the GST portal.

Keywords: GST portal, Infosys, IT system, tax reform, software deployment