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Government of India
Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue
(Central
Board of Excise and Customs)
Circular No 40/2017-Customs
Dated: the 13th October, 2017
To
Chief Commissioners of Customs, New Delhi
Chief Commissioners of
Customs, Chennai
Sir,
Subject: Pilot Implementation of Paperless Processing under SWIFT- Uploading
of Supporting Documents-reg.
Kind reference is invited to Para 8 of Board’s Circular No. 10/2016 dated
15th March, 2016 wherein, it was stated that CBEC was in the process of
procuring IT infrastructure to capture digitally signed copies of the supporting
documents. Under project “Saksham”, CBEC has upgraded its IT infrastructure,
which would inter alia be used for the introduction of paperless processing
under Single Window Interface for Facilitation of Trade (SWIFT). With the
objective of reducing physical interface between Customs/ regulatory agencies
and the trade and to increase the speed of clearance, it is proposed to
introduce a facility to upload digitally signed supporting documents on a pilot
basis to be launched shortly at Air Cargo complex, New Delhi and Chennai Customs
House. The pilot will cover all types of imports under 10ES.After the completion
of the pilot, the facility will be extended to all ICES locations.
2.
Under CBEC Circular No. 10/2015 dated March 31, 2015, and Circular 26/2015 dated
November 23, 2015, Bills of Entry are required to be submitted by authorized
persons on ICEGATE after affixing their digital signatures. Now, under this
pilot, the authorized persons Customs Brokers/ Importers) would also be required
to submit all supporting documents online on ICEGATE after affixing digital
signatures. Commissioners of Customs at Air Cargo complex, New Delhi and Chennai
Customs House will issue Public Notices that for a specified appraising group,
all supporting documents may be uploaded on ICEGATE for Bills of Entry filed
through ICEGATE for that appraising group.The facility to upload supporting
documents on ICEGATE would be opened on October 20, 2017. On a voluntary basis,
Members of the trade may use this facility to upload the supporting documents
concerning Bills of Entry that may be filed on or after October 20, 2017. After
15 days of the launch of the facility, a review will be carried out, and
thereafter, it will be introduced as a mandatory requirement. For this pilot,
the following procedure will apply:
Uploading supporting documents
3. For uploading supporting documents on ICEGATE, the authorized persons
must Open ICEGATE URL https://www.icegate.gov.in/,Click on Login/ Signup button
for login into ICEGATE by using his/ her access credentials and then Click on
e-SANCHIT link provided in left vertical menu to redirect on e-SANCHIT. The
step-by-step procedure for upload of supporting documents is also provided on
the ICEGATE website. While preparing a job for submission on ICEGATE in their
respective Remote EDI Systems (RES), the authorized persons must ensure that
they have uploaded all the necessary supporting documents. A facility has also
been provided on ICEGATE to the authorized persons to access and view the
documents uploaded by them.
4. In case the authorized person seeks to
provide a document after the generation of the Bill of Entry number, he/ she may
first upload the document on ICEGATE, obtain a unique ID Image Reference Number
(IRN) for the document and link that document with the corresponding Bill of
Entry by submitting an amendment at the Service Center. This procedure will also
apply when the authorized person submits a document in response to a query
raised by Customs for a Bill of Entry.
Assessment & Document Verification
5. Once a Bill of Entry has been filed, Customs Officers will be able to
access the uploaded electronic versions of supporting documents while viewing or
assessing the Bill of Entry on ICES. During assessment, ICES provides for a
query to be raised in order to call for additional documents or information. In
response to a query, supporting documents can also be uploaded online by
following the procedure described in para 4 above. All documents required for
the purposes of assessment would be viewed online. In due course, the facility
to view supporting documents will also be extended to officers of the
Participating Government Agencies (PGAs).
6. Post Clearance Compliance
Verification (PCCV) will be carried out online based on the electronic versions
of supporting documents instead of hard copy dockets of the Bills of Entry.
Goods Registration, Examination & Clearance
7. After filing of the
Bill of Entry, the authorized person (e.g. importer/Customs Broker) may with his
self-assessed copy of the Bill of Entry, approach the designated place for goods
registration, document verification and clearance. In case goods are to be
examined, the officer examining goods may record the results of
inspection/examination online on ICES.
8. Some types of supporting
documents are required to be presented in original (as specified in the
respective notifications) for verification of seal/ signature etc., for
defacement and for the debit of quantities/ value. Trade should present hard
copy at the time of the registration of goods or at a place specified by the
Commissioner of Customs. It may however be noted that all supporting documents
shall be uploaded digitally, including those documents that must be presented in
hard copy. For supporting documents, where a debit of quantity/ value is
required to be made on hard copy, for every subsequent Bill of Entry filed for
import, the latest debit sheet shall be uploaded. The authorized person filing
the Bill of Entry should pay attention while linking supporting documents with
Bills of Entry and should ensure that the correct unique reference numbers
(IRNs) are mentioned in the Bills of Entry.
Manifest Closure
9.
With the submission of supporting documents online, the manifest closure
department of the Custom House will not receive hard copies of dockets. Officers
shall rely on the electronic records maintained on ICES to carry out activities
in relation to manifest closure.
Other features to be pilot-tested
10. In consultation with the stakeholders, in the course of the pilot, the
following features will taken-up for pilot-testing:
(a) Upload of
supporting documents for Bills of Entry is filed through the Service Centers.
(b) On a test-basis, handheld devices would be used by Examining Officers
and Shed Superintendents to record inspection/ examination reports on the spot.
(c) Presently, electronic copies of Out of Charge orders and assessed copies
of Bills of Entry are delivered online to the Custodians and authorized persons.
In the course of the pilot, digital signatures will be applied on these messages
and not copies of Bills of Entry.
11. The Bill of Entry (Electronic
Integrated Declaration) Regulation, 2011, was placed on the CBEC website since
August 4, 2017 for public feedback. Based on the feedback, the Regulations are
being finalized. This updated draft Regulations provide for the authorized
person to submit digitally signed electronic integrated declarations (Bills of
Entry) and supporting documents and dispenses with the need for trade to submit
the corresponding The draft Regulations also provide that the authorized person
shall retain, for a period of 5 years from the date of acceptance of the Bill of
Entry, all supporting documents in original, which were used or relied upon by
him in submitting the electronic integrated declaration, and shall produce them
before Customs or other Government agencies in connection with any action or
proceedings under the Customs Act 1962 or any other law for the time being in
force.
12. Chief Commissioners of Customs Delhi and Chennai are requested
to kindly issue public To facilitate smooth roll out of pilot, feedback and
queries may be addressed by email to [email protected] and
[email protected]. References in hard copy may be sent to Commissioner
(Single Window), HUDCO Vishala Building, B – Wing, Bhikhaji Cama Place, R.K.
Puram, New Delhi – 110066.
Yours faithfully,
(Maninder Kumar)
OSD (Cus IV)
[F. No.
450/148/2015-Cus-IV]
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