Circular No.ES/ 86 /2015-16 March 22, 2016
To : Members of the Council
Sub: Implementing Integrated Declaration under the Indian Customs Single Window
Dear Member,
Kindly refer to Council’s earlier Circular No.ES/65/2015-16 dated February 5, 2016 regarding extension of the Indian Customs Single Window to other locations and other Participating Government Agencies.
In this connection, the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has now issued Circular No.10/2016-Customs dated 15th March, 2016 implementing the ‘Indian Customs Single Window Project’ to facilitate trade.
As you are aware, this project envisages that the importers and exporters would electronically lodge their Customs clearance documents at a single point only with the Customs. The required permission, if any, from Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) such as Animal Quarantine, Plant Quarantine, Drug Controller, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Textile Committee etc. would be obtained online without the importer/exporter having to separately approach these agencies. This would be possible through a common, seamlessly integrated IT systems utilized by all regulatory agencies, logistics service providers and the importers/exporters. The Single Window would thus provide the importers/exporters a single point interface for clearance of import and export goods thereby reducing dwell time and cost of doing business.
With the introduction of this facility, clearance from these regulatory agencies is flowing online, and the hard-copy of ‘No Objection Certificates’ (NOCs) is no longer required for clearance of goods. This online clearance under Single Window Project has been rolled out at main ports and airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai so far. It will be gradually extended across the country.
CBEC has since developed the ‘Integrated Declaration’, under which all information required for import clearance by the concerned government agencies have been incorporated into the electronic format of the Bill of Entry. The Customs Broker or Importer shall submit the “Integrated Declaration” electronically to a single entry point, i.e. the Customs Gateway (ICEGATE). Separate application forms required by different PGAs like Drug Controller, AQCS, WCCB, PQIS and FSSAI would be dispensed with.
Besides, the integrated Declaration replaces 9 separate forms that an importer or his broker was supposed to file with various agencies. These are Customs Bill of Entry, Customs valuation declaration, etc.
The system has been modified to enable simultaneous processing of bill of entry by PGA and Customs.
The ICEGATE facility will be available for testing of the integrated declaration with effect from 15/3/2016, March, 2016. The Integrated Declaration will go live with effect from 1st April, 2016.
This is a major initiative of the Department and is expected to significantly simplify and expedite the clearance process.
For more information kindly refer the above Customs Circular.
Thanking You,
KRIPABAR BARUAH
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
