The Hindu Business Line : Availing Exim benefits: EDI filing must from<br>Feb 1

COMPULSORY filing of applications by trade in the eastern region, for availing itself of different Exim benefits, through the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system has been made effective from February 1.

The Office of Zonal Joint Director General of Foreign Trade (JDGFT), Kolkata, in partial modification of an earlier trade notice, has now advised trade and industry here that effective from February 1, all applicants availing Exim benefits under schemes such as advance licence, duty free replenishment certificate and duty entitlement pass book will now have to file their applications electronically, under the EDI system.

Highly placed JDGFT officials confirmed that all trade bodies, exporters, Export Promotion Councils etc are being requested to inform their respective members that online filing of applications through EDI would now be strictly implemented from February 1.

Customs procedure for passage of export goods through LCS revised: The office of the Commissioner of Customs, West Bengal, Kolkata, through a recent Public Notice, has instructed that all exporters, their Custom House Agents (CHAs) operating at the various land customs stations (LCS) in the State, for exports to Bangladesh, falling under the jurisdiction of the Commissionerate, should ensure that all goods covered under a bill of export are presented for examination by customs at one go.

While clarifying that designated officers will appraise the bills of export in the usual manner, trade has been informed that the registration numbers of all vehicles carrying goods under a bill of export should be recorded on the reverse of the bill at the time of presentation of the document for examination along with the export report in a prescribed format. All vehicles relating to one particular bill of export will now be examined by the cargo officers of Customs in one go in the prescribed manner and export clearance duly recorded on the bill.

Asked on the development, informed trade sources said according to customs officials, exporters/CHAs operating at these LCS points were not presenting the goods covered under a single bill of export at a time for examination and clearance by customs officers at one go.

This is clearly in contravention of the provisions of Customs Act 1962. Section 50 of the Act provides that exporters shall make entry thereof by presenting to the custom officer a bill of export in case of exports by land.

Section 51 provides that where the officer is satisfied that export goods entered are not prohibited and the exporter has paid the duty, if any assessed thereon, and any other charges payable, the officer may make an order permitting clearance and loading of the goods for exportation. Hence, it is clear that export goods should be made ready for examination by Customs at one go before issuance of a clearance order.