Electronic System for Customs' Clearance

Less Queues to Declare Dutiable Goods at Airport

Flyers bringing in dutiable goods including televisions and electronic gadgets will not have to stand in long queues to get them cleared from now.

Customs authorities have introduced an electronic system to calculate duty on any goods and material, other then free allowances, being brought by them to India at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here, official sources said.

Earlier, the calculation of duty on goods was being done manually at the airport.

The system-- Systematic Keeper of Receipts-- will keep a record of items being brought by a passenger into the country without any human intervention. The time in calculation of duty on goods by the new system installed at red channel will be one-tenth as compared to the old practice, they said.

A passenger had to spend on an average at least 20 minutes for getting duty calculated on the goods brought by him. This was in addition to time spent in standing in queues.

During rush hour, passengers had to stand in queues for hours.

According to rules, a passenger is supposed to declare dutiable goods at red channel at the airport. Those not having any dutiable goods are supposed to hand over the mandatory customs declaration form by an international passenger at the green channel.

The new system is pre-fed with duties leviable on items brought by the passengers and has ended any scope of discretion by any officers.

"Earlier, there were instances where different amount of duty was being levied on the same item. The system will do away with all such instances," an official said.

A passenger can now go to red channel and get a baggage receipt for a bank, where duty amount need to be deposited, instantly. His passport and boarding card details along with the dutiable goods brought by him will be recorded within five minutes, the sources said.