The Hindu Business Line : New box clearance norm to help ease congestion at Chennai port

THE Chennai Customs has introduced a new procedure to clear containers that do not come with export ready documents to avoid congestion at the entrance to the Chennai port.

With effect from September 15, Central Excise-sealed and self-sealed export boxes coming to the Chennai container terminal would not be allowed entry through zero gate if they do not have proper Customs documents and the Form 13 issued by CCTL (Chennai Container Terminal Ltd), says a Chennai Customs circular.

This will avoid bunching of export container laden vehicles at the zero gate. Daily, around 1,100 export boxes enter the port through this gate, and half of these are Central Excise sealed and factory stuffed boxes. But, a number of them do not come with the required export ready documents and the trailers are parked inside the harbour awaiting documents. This has led to complaints from local residents and accidents apart from creating difficulty for commuters, says the circular.The Chennai Customs has said that the Central Excise and factory stuffed containers will have to go to one of the three Container Freight Stations (CFS) under the Chennai Customs for completion of Customs formalities and on-wheel examination (without boxes being unloaded from the vehicles).

The preventive officers at the CFS would allow the containers to enter on the basis of the "check list" (provided by the Customs) of the shipping bill. If there was any discrepancy, the officer would refer the matter to a higher authority. If the officer gives the "passed out" order with date and time, the containers would move directly to the port to enter the CCTL, the circular says.

The three CFSs - Concor (Tondiarpet), Central Warehousing Corporation (Madhavaram) and A.S. Shipping (Numbal) - will have 24 hours "let export order" issue facility. The CFSs will charge Rs 200 to Rs 300 for a twenty-foot equivalent unit (teu) trailers and Rs 400 to Rs 600 for a forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU) for a 24-hour on-wheel parking of containers at the CFS, says a notice issued by CCTL, the private terminal operator at Chennai port.

There will be no charge in the Customs procedure for Central Excise or self-sealed export containers. The same "let export order" procedure as the CCTL Zero gate CFS will now be allowed at all other CFS, the notice says.

Further, to facilitate smooth movement of trucks into the port, the Chennai Port Trust has facilitated 24-hour issue of port entry passes at zero gate.

According to an industry source, vehicles without proper documents had to pay detention charges of Rs 1,000 a day. This could be avoided through the Chennai Customs' new measure.

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