Policy Circular No. 29 dated 6^th August 1998

Under the current EXIM Policy and Procedure effective from 13.04.1998, the issue of licences including those approved by the Headquarters been decentralised. As a result, the specific import licences for import of Negative of items which were far approved and issued by the Headquarters will now be only approved by the Special Licensing Committee at the Headquarters and import licence will be issued by the ALAs. Under this new procedure, relevant portions of the minutes of the meetings of the SLC indicating the decisions will be communicated to the Port Offices within 72 hours of the meeting.

2.     The following guidelines have to be considered for issuing such licenses in a uniform manner:

(i)     The original application will henceforth be filed before the port office and the applicant will send requisite copies to the Headquarters.

(ii)    The ALAs, on receipts of the decision/ minutes of the SLC, shall ensure that the licence is issued within three working days subject to the surrender of SIL, except where the SIL condition has been waived.

(iii)   The SIL so surrendered shall be cancelled and perforated immediately after issue of licence except where the SIL is for a value higher than the requisite value. In such cases the SIL surrendered for higher value shall be debited or the requisite amount i.e. the amount equivalent to the CIF value of the licence to be issued. Such SIL, after; having been debited, shall be returned to the firm. However, copies of such SILs along with copies of transfer letter shall be retained in the file for record. The debit endorsement shall be done on the body of the SIL duly authenticated by the issuing Authority. Where the SILs are to be cancelled and perforated the same shall be done under the personal supervision of the concerned FTDO. The SILs so surrendered should be accepted after properly verifying their utilisation position.

(iv)    In cases where import licence to be issued for import of Horses/ Broodmares, the same shall be subject to the list of conditions appended herewith as Annexure A.

(v)    All such licences will be issued with "Actual User" condition. Such condition should be mentioned on the body of the licence itself. Other conditions stipulated by the SLC shall also be indicated on the body of the licence.

(vi)      In cases of customs Clearance Permit (CCP) no SIL needs to be surrendered.

(vii)     All such licences/ CCPs shall be issued with value and quantity restrictions,

3.     This issues with the approval of DGFT.

Annexure A

(Policy Circular No. 29)

Conditions attached to Import Licence PIA

Dated___________, for_________ Rs.__________ Only

Issued in favour of:

M/ s.

1.     The equine should come from a country free from African Horse Sickness.

2.     During 180 days immediately prior to export the equine should have not visited any country where African Horse Sickness occurred since past 2 years immediately proceeding to export.

3.     The horse in question has been kept In isolation for 30 days in approved Govt. quarantine station arid subjected to the following tests:

Disease Diagnostic test Glanders Mallein/ CFT 15 days before embarkation Dourine CFT 15 days before embarkation Equine Infectious Cogging (Immuno diffusion test) 30 days before embarkation Anaemia Infectious Equine Serum Agglutination Test 15 days Abortion (titre not greater than 1/ 3000).

Equine Viral Arthritis Virus Neutralisation test/ CFT. Two occasions at least 14 (EVA) days apart with negative result during the 28 days prior to shipment Equine Morbidly virus Serum Neutralisation Test

5.     The horse showed no clinical signs or symptoms of infectious or contagious diseases including African Horse Sickness, episootic lymphangitis, uncertive lymphangitis, Trypansomiasis, Dourine, equine ptroplasmosis, equine rhiopneuponitis, equine encephalomyelitis, equine influenza, equine influenza infectious anaemia and vesicular the day of shipment and during the three months prior to shipment.

6.     The horse were kept for three months prior to shipment in a Govt. approved establishment were no case of diseases mentioned above was officially reported and no such diseases reported in a radius of 20 kilometres around the approved establishment.

7.     All equipment, container, vehicles and parts of the vessel or aircraft used for transportation of the horse were cleared and disinfected using disinfectant approved for the purpose by the Govt. vet service.

8.     The horse is not vaccinated against African Horse Sickness Equine Viral Arteries. The above conditions are common for all horses to be imported from any country.

9.     Horses imported from France, Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Brazil, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia or Sweden must fulfil the conditions mentioned below:

i)      Only Colts and Stallions upto 7 years of age and fillies upto 5 years of age, which have never been, can be imported.

ii)     The horses should be accompanied by a certificate from an authorised veterinarian of the exporting country to the effect that the horses have not been in contact with breeding stock during the 12 months immediately prior to export and that swabs collected from the prepuse/ urethra/ vagina/ car vix as the case may be, of these horses have been found negative for pathogenic micro-organisms, specifically Haemophilic equigenitals, by standard culture and serological methods on three consecutive occasions at seven (7) day intervals during the thirty (30) days immediately prior to embarkation for export.

iii)    After import in India the horses should be kept in quarantine for a minimum period of (30) days at the Govt. Quarantine Station or premises specifically approved by the Ministry of Agriculture for this purpose. During this quarantine period the horses shall be subjected to standard culture and serological examination for contatious equine metritis infection by a recognised laboratory on three consecutive occasions at seven (7) day intervals and hall be permitted to mix with other stock only when declared negative for contagious equine metritis infection.

10.   Horses imported from countries other than those specified in clause 8 above must:

i)      Not have been boarded in any of the countries listed in clause 8 above during the period commencing 2 years prior to embarkation for export from the exporting country.

ii)     Be accompanied by a certificate from an authorised veterinarian of the exporting country to the effect that the country concerned has remained free of contagious equine metritis disease during the three years immediately prior to export.

11.   A certificate of fitness issued either by the veterinary officer or by a qualified veterinary doctor registered with the Government of the country of origin shall be furnished at the time of customs clearance.