Enhancement of CRCL and Contactless Customs

Circular No. ES/253/2020-21 8th July, 2020

To : Members of the Council

Sub.: Enhancement of CRCL and Contactless Customs

Dear Member,

Shri M. Ajit Kumar, Chairman, CBIC has unveiled several new and modern testing equipment inducted into the Central Revenues Control Laboratory (CRCL) on 6th July, 2020. This would significantly enhance the in-house testing capability of the Customs leading to faster import and export clearances. He also launched new IT functionalities for supporting “Contactless Customs” under CBIC’s flagship programme,“Turant Customs”. In this regard, a Press Release has been issued by the Ministry of Finance on 7th July, 2020

In addition to this, he also launched Eight CRCL Laboratories at New Delhi, Kandla, Vadodara, Mumbai, Nhava Sheva, Kochi, Chennai & Visakhapatnam who have obtained NABL accreditation for chemical testing in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017, for the defined scope. Also, the CRCL laboratories at New Delhi and Chennai are NABL accredited for forensic testing (testing of NDPS substances).

The unveiled IT functionalities to promote Contactless Customs empowers the exporters to self-manage changes in their Bank Account and AD Code through ICEGATE as well as register on ICEGATE without having to approach a Customs officer.

A major innovation that was announced is the automated debit of Bonds in the ICES which will dispense with the need for importers to visit Custom Houses to get the debity made manually. It has also been decided that the balance in the Bond would henceforth be indicated in the import document, which would help importers plan their imports. Chairman has highlighted the relevance of these functionalities, which can minimise the physical interface with Customs.

Importantly, considering the benefits ushered in by providing a single point interface set up in Bengaluru and Chennai Zones for 1st Phase of Faceless Assessment, CBIC would set up Turant Suvidha Kendra (TSKs) to all the Customs formations w.e.f 15th July, 2020.

TSKs will henceforth be the sole physical interface point with Customs formations whenever physical submission of documents is required by Customs such as for defacement of Country of Origin Certificates. This is expected to further ease the Customs clearance process.

Members may kindly make a note of the above.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

S.BALARAJU
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR