CBEC Clamps Down on Delays, No Multiple Queries
Please
[CBEC Circular No. 22 dated 3rd September
2015]
Subject:
Delay in furnishing reply to the Queries raised by the Department.
Trade facilitation
has been accorded priority by the Government since it is critical for Ease of
Doing Business in India. The progress in Ease of Doing Business is being
monitored at the highest level.
1. In order to
facilitate genuine trade and to reduce dwell time, it is necessary to
streamline the procedures at every stage of assessment till out of charge of
goods is given by Proper Officer of Customs. Increasing number of queries and
resultant delay in assessment process is a matter of concern. Further, instances
have come to notice that in cases, during re-assessment of Bill of Entry by the
proper officer, the queries seeking clarification from importer are raised in a
piece meal manner. There is also no mechanism to monitor the time taken in
raising queries and completing re-assessment by the officers. The C&AG in
its report on ‘Trade Facilitation
of Import and Export through Ports’ has highlighted this point and desired that a system of
periodical review and analysis of queries raised must be devised by the Department. Further, the areas where
maximum number of queries are raised should be identified which could be
disseminated for the benefit of trade so that they could take preventive
action.
2. The matter has
been examined in the Board. Accordingly, it is decided that genuine
clarification sought by officers from importers/exporters are raised in one go
and not in a piece meal manner. Further, it is also desirable that field
formation could consider listing of the queries frequently raised in course of
assessment and disseminate them through Public Notice or sensitize trade about
the same so that importers could take preventive action to avoid such queries
or be better prepared to reply to such queries.
1. Board also desires
that the time taken after answering the queries should further curtailed and in
fact documents that are delayed are accorded priority after receipt of
satisfactory reply from importers.
1. All Chief
Commissioners are directed to instruct officers under their jurisdiction to
strictly adhere to aforementioned guidelines. Commissioner of Customs may also
devise a mechanism for monthly update/review of the same. The review must
include type and frequency of queries raised by the proper officers. Chief
Commissioners should also consider suitable sensitization of importers about
most common errors so that avoidable delays in completion of reassessment by
proper officer may be avoided in future.
6. Difficulty faced if any may be brought to the
notice of the Board.
F. No. 450/06/2015-Dir (Customs)