|
Round-the-clock
Customs operations at select Major Ports, airports from August-end
Customs clearance operations will
be available at select sea ports and airports 24x7 from August 25 in order to
facilitate the trade.
According to an
official release, the four ports where this facility would be available are
Chennai, Kolkata, Kandla and JNPT, with the four airports being Delhi, Bangalore,
Chennai and Mumbai.
The 24x7
operations would commence on pilot basis with Customs operations and all other
complementary services. Along with Customs, other government agencies such as
the concerned port/airport authority, drug controller, Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India, quarantine, etc., and private players such as custodians,
CHAs, banks, transporters, etc. shall also have to work 24x7 to synchronise with
the extended working hours. This would be initially for four months, after which
efforts would be made to expand similar operations to other locations.
The 24x7
operations would be available for certain categories of imports and exports. For
imports, the category "No Assessment No Examination" will be covered.
This would account for 70 per cent of the imports. For exports, it could be
extended to those exports not claiming benefits, the release pointed out.
For smooth launch of 24x7
operations, the Commissioners of Customs at these locations will hold meetings
with all stakeholders. The additional staff required to commence operations
would be redeployed from the existing resources. The Commerce Secretary and the
Director-General of Foreign Trade will also hold meetings with other support
agencies to facilitate and ensure 24x7 operations. A
notice in this regard will be issued by August 10, with round-the-clock
operations scheduled to commence after two weeks, i.e. on August 25.
The Department of Revenue shall assess the pilot
and propose expansion of coverage if required, the release said.
Source : Exim
News Service - NEW DELHI, Aug. 8
|