Single
Electronics Customs Bond Format for Five Bond Types Released, Link with
Corresponding Bank Guarantee Provided
·
The quantum of Bank Guarantee to be provided in the different instances prescribed earlier through the Board circulars
have been collated
and made available
in Annexure-F.
· E-Bank Guarantee module, detailed Advisories issued by ICEGATE website may be referred to.
[CBIC
Circular No. 04/2025-Customs dated 17th February 2025]
Annexure A Digital Stamping
and Execution of Single All-India Multipurpose Electronic Bond (SEB)
Annexure C Format
for Single All-India Multipurpose electronic Bond for Importers/Exporters under the Customs Act, 1962
Annexure H: List
of Banks
Integrated with NeSL for e-Bank Guarantee linkage
Annexure
I: Model For m of B an k
Guaran tee B on d
CBIC's ongoing initiatives to simplify
trade processes, improve transparency, and adopt best practices have resulted in steady improvements across various trade facilitation metrics. Leveraging Information technology, many processes have become paperless
and contactless,
thus providing ease
and less time consuming
for the trade.
2. In the same direction, to enhance
efficiency and reduce the administrative load on businesses, CBIC has decided
to introduce a project named
Ekal Anubandh, wherein
trade will be encouraged to use single All-India Multi-purpose Electronic Bond with end-to-end automation. As a first step, single All-India
Multipurpose Bond for
importers or exporters in lieu of the transaction-wise Bonds being submitted across different ports, thus offering significant potential
to save both time and costs in trade procedures.
3.1
At present, importer
or exporter submits separate bonds along with security, for every transaction at each port for different scenarios as stipulated in the Board circulars given
below:
i.
Provisional Assessment Circular No. 38/2016 dt. 22.08.2016 and Circular 42/2020-Customs
dated 29.09.2020
ii.
Export Promotion Schemes Circular
11A/2011-Customs dated
25.02.2011
iii.
Warehousing under Section 59 - Circular 18/2016-Custom dated 14.05.2016 and Circular
21/2016 - Customs dated
31.07.2016
iv. MOOWR in bonded warehouse
under section 65 Circular 34/2019-Customs dated 01.10.2019
v.
MOOWR in Special Warehouse under section 65 vide Circular 36/2020-
Customs dated 17.08.2020-Customs.
3.2
The
current practice is adding cost and time for
the trade and customs and adds to the administrative burden of maintaining physical records. The status and retrieval also
pose difficulties.
Single All-India Multipurpose electronic Bond (SEB):
4.1
To overcome above issues and to provide end-to-end digital solution,
in lieu of submission of separate
bonds, importer
or exporter will have an option
to submit a Single
All-India Multipurpose electronic Bond (SEB) with
following features:
(a)
Importer/Exporter can
choose the obligations, he intends to undertake in the common bond format and submit at any port of importers choice electronically at ICEGATE.
(b)
Option to include additional obligations or additional amount at the later stage is
available at ICEGATE
(c)
Electronic Payment of stamp duty and electronic execution of Bond through
integration with National
E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) by affixing
electronic signature without
any requirement for notary.
(d)
Online
linking End-to-End issued Electronic Bank Guarantee
(e)
Verification of Bank Guarantee (BG) issued by issuing
Bank
4.2
On
the lines of the initiative of Digital
Document Execution or DDE` for paperless execution and storage of financial
contracts, through M/s N National E- Governance Services Limited (NeSL) by Department of Financial
Services (DFS), digital execution of customs
bonds is being enabled. The process
of execution of bond electronically including
the digital payment
of stamp duty is elaborated in Annexure-A. The Importer/exporter executing the bond may ensure that applicable stamp duty is paid.
4.3
In this regard, as clarified
earlier vide Circular
11A/2011-Customs dated 25.02.2011 in respect
of National Bond for EP Schemes,
opinion of Law Ministry regarding the legal implications of a single bond across different
customs locations is re-iterated as follows since the Bond is executed in favour of President of India, the same is enforceable by any authorized Commissioner (Customs). Further,
it also clarified
that, in view of capability
to identify the executants and time-stamping of the electronic signatures, there is no further
requirement of notaries
during SEB execution process.
4.4
Format
of the SEB is provided in Annexure-C.
6.
With electronic bonds and bank guarantees, importers/exporters/customs brokers can manage
and track documents in real time, ensuring greater security
and transparency throughout transactions. The Ekal Anubandh project ensures that above digital
solutions are environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and more convenient, as they eliminate the need for physical signatures and paperwork, allowing for faster approvals
and fewer delays. Therefore, the importers
and exporters are encouraged that, wherever
required, importers/exporters/customs brokers may execute
a single unified multi-purpose electronic bond and electronic bank guarantee.
7.
For further details of the e-Bond and e-Bank Guarantee module, detailed
Advisories issued by ICEGATE
website may be referred
to.
8.
The
Single All-India Multipurpose electronic Bond (SEB) under Ekal Anubandh project
shall be implemented through detailed advisories being issued by DG Systems
in a phased manner. User feedback will be suitably incorporated during implementation.
9.
The Chief Commissioners of the Zones may sensitize
the officers under their jurisdiction of the above changes to handhold
the trade. Necessary Public Notice
may
be issued and outreach activities conducted with the relevant stakeholders. Difficulties,
if any may be
brought to the notice of the Board.
Annexure-A Digital Stamping and Execution of Single All-India Multipurpose
Electronic Bond (SEB)
1.
National e-Governance Service Limited (NeSL) recognised as information Utility (IU) under The Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016, is mandated
to serve as a repository of legal evidence
for financial credit contracts. Department of Financial
Services (DFS), Government of India vide Circular F. No. 6/2/2019-BO.II dated 11.08.2020 has already initiated
Digital Document
Execution or DDE`, which is a mode for paperless execution and storage of financial
contracts, through M/s NeSL.
2.
Under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, the Customs
bond, being an instrument (Article
26 under Schedule 1 to the said Act), stamp duty is required to be paid.
3.
Digital Stamping of documents
and online payment of stamp duty are enabled based on the concurrence from the States, through Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited
(SHCIL) or Government Receipt Accounting System (GRAS) platforms. The list of States and UTs enabled at NeSL for e-BG and e-Customs
Bond is enclosed
as Annexure G. The user can pay the applicable stamp duty via online mode through
NeSL. It is to also mention that whenever
another state/UT
is enabled at NeSL for e- BG
and
e-Bond, the same will be
intimated through ICEGATE.
4.
The person intending to execute
the bond may provide appropriate authority
document that he is enabled
to execute the same on behalf of the legal person.
The manner of affixing digital/electronic signature would
be elaborated by ICEGATE in its
Guidelines. There is no requirement
of notarising the electronic bond.
5.
In
brief, the procedure of execution of SEB is as follows:
(a)
SEB can be using executed
bond for Provisional Assessment (including CAROTAR, Chemical tests etc), Export Promotion Schemes, Re-Export
Purposes, Import as per Section
143, Warehousing under Public/Private/Special Warehouses, Manufacture and Other Operations in Private Warehouse, Manufacture and Other Operations
in Special Warehouse etc. National Bond under IGCR procedure
will continue to be provided
separately.
(b)
The Bond Application can be initiated
by selecting appropriate obligations along with the
supporting documents in the ICEGATE
Portal and submitted.
(c)
Along with the Bond, The appropriate purpose codes, if the quantum of bank guarantee is already known, may be indicated. It is
to clarify that, only quantum is to be indicated. Bank Guarantee may be submitted only when required i.e
during import or export of the goods.
(d)
The Application will be scrutinized and the clarifications will be sought by the Customs Officer electronically. Once scrutiny is complete,
unique Bond Number is generated
and affixed to the draft SEB and shared with NeSL via API for e-stamping
and e-signing.
(e)
Once stamp duty payment and electronic signature is affixed through NeSL portal, same will be forwarded to the concerned Assistant/ Deputy Commissioner for e-Signature. The finalized
e-Bond is stored in NeSL repository and also in e-Sanchit and is also available for use in Customs Automated
System.
(f)
Option is also available
to add additional obligations or the amount of bond at the later stage. The supplementary bond format
for addition of events or for addition
of amounts are enclosed
as Annexure D and Annexure
E respectively to this Circular. The linkage
of Bond with Bank Guarantee
will be visible at
the ICEGATE
portal.
1.
In case, Bank Guarantee is to be provided
as security to the bond, same may be linked
in the ICEGATE Portal against
the Bond.
2.
For linkage of e-Bank
Guarantee (e-BG), steps involved
is provided in brief as follows:
(a)
Importer may approach any of the Banks listed in Annexure-H for
issuance of e-BG in the format specified in Annexure-I
(b)
The bank generates
the e-BG and transmits its details to NeSL.
(c)
The importer/ exporter can link e-BG relevant
Bond Number at ICEGATE by entering
the unique number issued by the bank.
(d)
Upon submission, the e-BG details are fetched from NeSL and validated
against the applicants details in ICEGATE.
(e)
The
importer/ exporter reviews and confirms the fetched details, including
the e-BG pdf document, and will submit the linkage request.
(f)
Once
the linkage is approved, the linkage of e-BG with the e-Bond,
all
relevant details are reflected
in the importer/ exporters
dashboard.
3. For linkage of paper-based Bank Guarantee, the importer
may use the same format as specified in Annexure-I and also mention
the IFSC code of Beneficiary Bank (i.e SBI or ICICI) for verification by the Customs. The Bank is required to transmit
the BG details to the Beneficiary Bank through SFMS. Till such verification mechanism is operational, the current process may be continued.