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The Chennai Customs Zone aims to clear about 80 per cent of container cargo through the direct port delivery (DPD) programme by the end of this fiscal as against 46 per cent now.
“About 46 per cent of the containers that come to Chennai are cleared directly without having to go through the rigours of a full-fledged examination. The government has set a target for us to reach 80 per cent by the end of this fiscal. It is a huge challenge before us. But with the amount of cooperation from all stakeholders, we will achieve this target,” said M Ajit Kumar, Chief Commissioner of Customs, Chennai, at a meeting here.
Enhanced DPD
According to Time Release Study (TRS)-March 2018, released at the function, the revised DPD programme initiated by Chennai Custom House from November 2017 has taken off well and has seen enhanced levels in delivery of DPD containers from 18 per cent in July 2017 to 40 per cent in March 2018.
The benefits on account of DPD are reduction in additional transportation charges, reduced handling of the materials, and timely delivery for production planning, the report said.
It is the second TRS for 2018 pertaining to Chennai Customs zone, and it focused on identifying bottlenecks, providing in-depth analysis of new procedures & technologies, recognising opportunities for improvement of trade facilitation and facilitating ‘ease of doing business’ and enhancing transparency and accountability.
Stating that AEO (Authorised Economic Operators) programme was being pushed by the government in a major way, Kumar said the response from the trade community in Chennai was stupendous. Chennai Customs has received more than 1,000 AEO applications in the past three months. About 310 people have already received AEO certifications in Chennai alone.
AEO app
Kumar launched AEO app, which will provide details on the status of the registrations, among other information.
M Rafeeque Ahmed, President, Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said exports have to be stepped up as growth in exports would help minimise the impact of increasing oil prices.
In this context, the government’s various facilitation efforts would support the trade, thereby improving the rankings for ease of doing business in the country, he added.
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