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					 Ministry of Finance Department of Revenue 
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (Tax Research Unit)
  Instruction No. 09/2021-Customs 
Room No. 146-J, North Block 
 New Delhi, dated 3rd May, 2021 
 To
  All Principal Chief Commissioners/Chief 
 Commissioners of Customs/Customs (Preventive), All Principal Chief 
 Commissioners/Chief Commissioners of Customs & Central tax, All Principal 
 Commissioners/Commissioners of Customs/Customs (Preventive), All Principal 
 Commissioners/Commissioners of Customs & Central tax, All Principal Director 
 Generals/Director Generals under CBIC.
  Madam/Sir
  Subject: Ad hoc 
 Exemption from IGST on imports of specified COVID-19 relief material donated 
 from abroad – regarding
  Kind attention is drawn to the Ad hoc Exemption 
 Order No. 4/2021-Customs, dated 3rd May, 2021 wherein exemption from IGST 
 has been granted, in circumstances of exceptional nature, to goods specified 
 in the following Customs notifications: i. 27/2021-Customs dated 20.04.21 
 (as amended by notification No.29/2021-Customs dated 30.4.21) ii. 
 28/2021-Customs dated 24.04.21, when received free of cost for free 
 distribution anywhere in India for COVID relief.
  2. This exemption shall be 
 subject to the following conditions specified therein: (i) State Government 
 shall appoint a nodal authority in the State for the purpose of this 
 exemption. As per section 2 (103) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 
 2017, state include a Union territory with Legislature.  (ii) The Nodal authority so appointed shall authorise any 
 entity, relief agency or statutory body, for free distribution of such 
 Covid-relief material. (iii). The said goods can be imported free of cost by 
 a State Government or, any entity/ relief agency/ statutory body, authorized 
 in this regard for free distribution anywhere in India. (iv) The importer 
 shall before clearance of goods from Customs produce a certificate from the 
 said nodal authorities that goods are meant for free distribution for Covid
 relief. (v) After imports, the importer shall produce, to the Deputy or 
 Assistant Commissioner of Customs at the port within a period of six months 
 from the date of importation or within such extended period not exceeding 
 nine months, a simple statement containing details of goods imported and 
 distributed free of cost. This statement shall be certified by the said 
 nodal authority of the State Government.
  3. Field formations may take 
 special note that the exemption order shall apply to all the such 
 consignments pending clearance from Customs as on date of issue of order, 
 i.e., the 3rd May, 2021.
  4. Revenue Secretary has also written to all the 
 Chief Secretaries for creation of a State/Union Territory Nodal Agency for 
 taking immediate action for the purpose of imports of such relief material. 
 The State Governments, importers, relief agencies, may approach the customs 
 formation in case they face any difficulty. Chief Commissioners may suitably 
 sensitize the Nodal officers already appointed in their formation for
 facilitating the expeditious clearance of COVID-relief material so that they 
 are aware of this exemption and deal pro-actively with issues, if any, in 
 their smooth clearance.
  5. A large number of such consignments are 
 anticipated to arrive in the coming days and certain consignments may be 
 pending for clearance as on date. The customs formation, may proactively, 
 take action for speedy clearance of such consignments. It is requested that 
 necessary instructions be issued to the assessing officers to clear all such 
 Covid-19 relief material expeditiously. Also, field formation make every 
 possible effort to work in close coordination with the State Authorities. 
  6. In case of any difficulty, in 
 implementing the order, the field formations may approach the Joint 
 Secretary (TRU-1) or other officers on email [email protected],
 [email protected], or [email protected] .
  7. Hindi version will 
 follow. 
 F. No. CBIC-190354/2/2021-TO (TRU-I)-CBEC
  
 (Gaurav Singh) Deputy Secretary (TRU-I) 
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