Minimum Volumes for Waiver of Customs Staff Cost Recovery Charges at
Sea Ports, Air Cargo and Courier Terminals
[CBEC Circular No. 16 dated 10th
April 2013]
References have been received by the Board
requesting for fixation of norms for waiver of payment of cost recovery charges
for Customs staff posted at Seaports, Air Cargo Complexes, Courier Terminal,
etc. in like manner of the norms in force for ICDs/CFSs.
2. The matter was examined by the Board and a
view emerged that in the manner of ICDs/CFSs other Customs facilities -
Seaports, Air Cargo Complexes, Courier Terminals and Diamond Plazas - would
merit similar exemption from the payment of cost recovery charges for the
Customs staff posted therein once they satisfy certain performance criteria
that confirm their continued viability. The Board also noted that the Ministry
of Civil Aviation’s Greenfield Airport Policy required the Airport operators to
pay the cost recovery charges for the Customs staff (amongst others). However,
the Board observed that unlike ICDs/CFSs the staffing norms for these other
Customs facilities including Airports had not been finalized. In this
background, the Board constituted a Committee of Chief Commissioners of Customs
to recommend the norms for staffing of the Customs staff at the various Customs
facilities. The Committee of Chief Commissioners was also entrusted with the
task of identifying the performance benchmarks that would make a particular
facility eligible for the grant of exemption from the payment of cost recovery
charges for the Customs staff posted therein.
3. Based on the report of the Committee of Chief
Commissioners, the Board has obtained the approval of the Competent Authority
for the staffing norms for sanction of posts on cost recovery basis at various
Customs facilities and also for the performance norms that would make a
facility eligible for consideration of grant of exemption from the payment of
cost recovery charges. The facility-wise (Sea Port, Air Cargo Complexes,
Courier Terminals and Diamond Plaza) staffing norms for the posting of
Customs staff on cost recovery basis as well as the norms for eligibility for
grant of exemption from payment of cost recovery charges for such Customs staff
are as follows:
Staffing norms:
|
Customs Facility |
Dy./Asst. Commissioner |
Appraiser/ Superintendent |
Inspector/ Examiner |
STA/TA |
Sepoy |
Total |
|
Sea Port |
2 |
4 |
12 |
2 |
12 |
32 |
|
Air Cargo Complex |
2 |
8 |
12 |
4 |
5 |
31 |
|
Courier Terminals |
4 |
9 |
12 |
4 |
8 |
37 |
|
Diamond Plaza |
1 |
2+2 |
8 |
2 |
4 |
19 |
Norms for eligibility for grant of
exemption from the payment of cost recovery charges:
|
Facility |
Minimum
Annual Volume/Value of Import & Export Cargo |
Minimum
Annual Number of Documents – Bills of Entry/Shipping Bills |
|
Sea Port |
6 Lakhs
MTs. |
3,000 |
|
Air Cargo
Complex |
12,000 MTs |
35,000 |
|
Courier
Terminals |
1.5 Lakh
Packages |
20,000 |
|
Diamond
Plaza |
Rs. 15,000
Crores |
12,000 |
Note: Both performance norms (cargo and documents) would be
reduced by 50% for facilities that handle only import or export cargo.
4. The staffing norms for Airports will be
determined on the basis of the Class of the Airport (Class A, B or C) as per the
criteria of minimum number of international flights and passengers. Also, it is
envisaged that there would be 4 shifts at Class A and B Airports and 2 shifts
at Class C Airports. The norms for identifying the Class of an Airport, the
staffing norms for the posting of Customs staff on cost recovery basis, and the
norms for eligibility for grant of exemption from payment of cost recovery
charges for such Customs staff are as follows:
Norms for identifying the Class of an
Airport:
|
Class of Airport |
Minimum No. of international
flights per annum (incoming and outgoing) |
Minimum No. of passengers per
annum (incoming and outgoing) |
|
|
Class A |
12,000 |
10 lakhs |
|
|
Class B |
6,000 |
5 lakhs |
|
|
Class C |
3,500 |
3 lakhs |
|
Staffing norms for Airports:
|
Class of Airport |
Staffing Norms |
||||
|
Dy./Asst. Commissioner |
Superintendent |
Inspector |
Sepoy |
Total |
|
|
Class A |
4 |
38 |
78 |
24 |
144 |
|
Class B |
4 |
29 |
48 |
16 |
97 |
|
Class C |
- |
8 |
16 |
4 |
28 |
Norms for eligibility for grant of exemption
from the payment of cost recovery charges:
Minimum number of international flights
is 3500 (both incoming and outgoing) and the minimum number of passengers is 3
lakhs (both incoming and outgoing) in each of the preceding two financial
years.
5. The conditions for grant of exemption
from payment of cost recovery charges for all facilities viz. Sea Ports, Air
Cargo Complexes, Courier Terminals, Diamond Plazas and Airports shall
be as follows:
(a) Both performance norms i.e. volume/value and
number of documents in case of Sea Ports, Air Cargo Complexes, Courier
Terminals, Diamond Plazas and number of international flights and number of
passengers in case of Airports must be met in each of the preceding two
financial years.
(b) Exemption from cost recovery charges shall be
prospective; and
(c) No cost recovery charges should be outstanding.
6. It has also been decided that based upon the
aforementioned norms, jurisdictional Commissioners would review the existing
facilities and send proposals for waiver of cost recovery charges for eligible
facilities within 60 days. The proposal shall be sent to DG, HRD, CBEC.
Thereafter, similar review would be undertaken in April each year and proposals
for waiver of cost recovery charges sent to DG, HRD, CBEC by 30th April. DG,
HRD, CBEC will process the proposals to ensure the necessary orders for
exemption of cost recovery charges and regularization of posts are got issued
in a time bound manner.
7. These instructions may be brought to the
notice of the custodians, Airport operators by issuing Trade/Public Notices.
Suitable internal orders/instructions may be issued for the guidance of the
officers.
8. Difficulties faced, if any, in implementation
of the Circular may please be brought to the notice of the Board.
F.No.450/41/2010-Cus.IV(Pt)