The Hindu Business Line : Pune mops up Rs 251 cr in customs revenue collections

Pune March 30 Customs revenue collections from imports at three ICDs (inland container depots) and CFSs (container freight stations) at Dighi, Chinchwad, Pimpri and at Ratnagiri Port have touched Rs 251 crore for the current fiscal.

Giving out the details, Mr S.K. Sawhney, Commissioner of Customs, said the revenue collected was 65 per cent higher than that of last year's Rs 151.87 crore.

He pointed out that this rate of growth in Pune region during the current fiscal was much above the national average of about 36 per cent.

Despite reduction in import duty, which had been further brought down to 10 per cent during the current year's budget, there has been a growth both in terms of volume and value.

"This shows that the hinterland ports at Dighi, Chinchwad and Pimpri are increasingly being used by the trade and industry in and around Pune for their import and export requirements. The major items of import are chemicals, plastics, iron and steel, electrical machinery and automobile components,'' he said.

Besides higher revenue collections, recovery of tax arrears amounted to Rs 69 lakh. Mr Sawhney said Pune Customs is holding dialogues with stakeholders to improve service delivery mechanism and to facilitate foreign trade.

Anti-smuggling

Besides revenue collections, the Commissionerate of Customs also perform anti-smuggling operations along the coastline of 440 km, spanning Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra. There are 26 anti-smuggling formations which are deployed along the coastline for national security.

Pune Customs has also detected six cases of commercial frauds relating to under valuation and misuse of export incentive schemes involving Customs duty of about Rs 1.5 crore in 2006-07.

Seized goods worth Rs 21.97 crore were disposed off in 2006-2007 through electronic auctions as against Rs 2.14 crore in the previous year.

Future roadmap

Giving the roadmap ahead, he said electronic assessment facility for import and export cargo would be commissioned soon in Pune, which would further reduce transaction cost and enable importers, an online electronic interface.

Opening of a banking facility at Dighi is also being taken up to facilitate payment of Customs duties by importers at the place of clearance of goods.

Mr Sawhney said the Airports Authority of India had also being requested to provide some space so that the facility of air cargo complex and courier operations could be started at Pune International Airport.

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