Correct Data in Import/Export Declaration

[Customs Public Notice No. 124 dated 7th December 2010]

The following Public Notice was issued by the Commissioner of Customs (Import) Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House on 7th December 2010.

Subject: Data quality of information furnished by importers and exporters.

The importance of data quality is not only in levying correct duty on imports or extending appropriate incentives on exports, but also for the purposes of ensuring uniformity of assessment practices, compliance with Allied Acts and correct policy formulation. Needless to mention, poor data quality leads to bad and unethical trade practices which is detrimental to all stakeholders including importers and department and country’s economy in general.

2. Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House had issued a public Notice No.42/2010 dated 07.04.2010 emphasizing the need for better data quality. The said Public Notice prescribes that full and correct information concerning the goods being imported/exported such as description, brand, model, grade, specification etc, must be filled in appropriate columns of Bill of Entry/Shipping Bills.

3. For stakeholders’ education, interactive sessions were conducted in Conference Hall of JNCH in April, 2010 and BCHAA too played significant role in this context. Subsequent to that, improvement in data quality has been noticed but there is still scope and need for further improvement. Accordingly, this Customs House and BCHAA has planned to arrange jointly more numbers of interactive sessions so that the message of benefits of good data quality and legal requirement thereof is percolated to all stakeholders. The date and timings for these sessions will be intimated by BCHAA to its members.

4. All Customs House Agents are requested to depute at least one G-Card holder to attend one of these sessions for learning and assuring correct legal compliance on the subject and also to support the initiative undertaken by JNCH to improve the data quality. This program which emphasizes on legal compliance by describing correct data in Import/Export declaration is compulsory and failure to attend will lead to temporary suspension of their license till they complete this learning process. All CHA firms are requested to contact BCHAA on time so as to attend the said programme.

5. This issues with the approval of the Chief Commissioner, JNCH.

F.NO. S/22-GEN-297/2010 AM (IMP) JNCH