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Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Excise & Customs
Circular No 44/2016 – Customs
New Delhi, dated the 22nd September, 2016
To
All Principal Chief Commissioners/ Chief Commissioners of Customs,
All Principal Chief Commissioners/ Chief Commissioners of Customs & Central
Excise,
All Directors General,
All Principal Commissioners/Commissioners of Customs,
All Principal Commissioners/Commissioners of Customs & Central Excise,
Madam/Sir
Subject: Setting up of 'Customs Clearance Facilitation Committee' (CCFC) for
Land Customs Stations and Inland Container Depots-reg.
Please refer to Board's
Circular No. 13/2015-Customs dated 13th April, 2015 with
respect to setting up of Customs Clearance Facilitation Committees at each sea
port and airport tasked with the responsibility of ensuring expeditious Customs
clearance of imported and export goods.
2. With a view to have similar administrative arrangements for facilitation of
trade in the Land Customs Stations, CCFCs shall be set up in the following
Commissionerates having jurisdiction over the various Land Customs Stations,-
(i) Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive) Amritsar;
(ii) Commissioner of Customs (Preventive) Kolkata;
(iii) Commissioner of Customs (Preventive) Patna;
(iv) Commissioner of Customs (Preventive) Shillong.
The CCFCs shall also be set up in the Commissionerates having jurisdiction over
the Inland Container Depots.
3. The CCFC would be headed by the Principal Commissioner of Customs or
Commissioner of Customs for their respective jurisdictions. Its membership would
include the senior-most jurisdictional functionary of the following
departments/agencies/stakeholder:
(i) Food Safety Standards Authority of India / Port Health Officer (PHO)
(ii) Plant Quarantine Authorities
(iii) Animal Quarantine Authorities
(iv) Drug Controller of India (CDSO)
(v) Textile Committee
(vi) Custodians
(vii) Land Ports Authority of India (for CCFC in LCSs)
(viii) Forest and Wild Life Authorities
(ix) Railways/CONCOR
(x) Border Security Agencies (for CCFC in LCSs)
(xi) Pollution Control Board
(xii) Any other Department / Agency / stakeholder to be co-opted on need basis.
4. The terms of reference for the CCFC will be as follows:
(i) Ensuring and monitoring expeditious clearance of imported and export goods
in accordance with the timeline specified by the parent Ministry/Department
concerned;
(ii) Identifying and resolving bottlenecks, if any, in the clearance procedure
of imported and export goods;
(iii) Initiating Time Release Studies for improvement in the clearance time of
imported and export goods;
(iv) Having internal consultations to speed up the clearance process of imported
and export goods and recommending best practices thereto for consideration of
CBEC / Departments /Agencies concerned; and
(v) Resolving grievances of members of the trade and industry in regard to
clearance process of imported and export goods.
The CCFC shall meet once a month or as considered necessary by the chair.
5. The establishment of the CCFC and its terms of reference be given wide
publicity by issue of suitable Trade Notice/Public Notice. The said Trade
Notice/Public Notice should indicate the contact details of the chair of the
CCFC. A copy of the order establishing the CCFC may be endorsed to the Board. It
is suggested that the CCFC meetings be held in, or as close as feasible, to the
major LCS in the jurisdiction. This will facilitate a greater understanding of
the issues.
6. The Chief Commissioners of Customs/Customs and Central Excise concerned may
periodically review the working of the CCFC and its impact on reducing delays in
the Customs clearance time of imported and export goods and in resolving related
trade grievances.
7. A copy of this Circular is being sent to all administrative
Ministries/Departments/ State Governments concerned for issue of suitable
directions to their officers to inform the Chief Commissioners of
Customs/Customs and Central Excise concerned of the senior most functionary who
shall be a member of the CCFC. Further, the Ministry/Department concerned is
also being requested to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and specify
a time line for according clearances.
8. Difficulty, if any may be brought to the notice of the Board.
Yours faithfully,
(A K Sapra)
OSD Customs-IV
F.No.450/115/2016-CUS-IV
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