On line transmission of Licenses/Authorizations issued under Duty Exemption Scheme (DES) and the Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme (EPCG) - Customs - 18/2009

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS NEAR AKASHWANI: NAVRANGPURA: AHMEDABAD 380009 F.No. VIII/48-13/09-Tech. Dated : 27th March, 2009 PUBLIC NOTICE NO. 18/2009 Sub : On line transmission of Licenses/Authorizations issued under Duty Exemption Scheme (DES) and the Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme (EPCG). Attention of the CHA/Import-Export trade is invited to the Public Notice No. 66/95 (CCP) dated 08.12.1995, wherein procedure relating to registration of Licenses/Authorizations issued under Duty Exemption Scheme (DES) and Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme (EPCG) has been laid down. In terms of these Public Notice (s)/Office Order (s), various procedures related to imports and exports under above schemes like registration, monitoring of exports obligation and redemption of bonds/LUTs etc. are carried out manually at this port. 2. In pursuance of the Board s Circular No. 3/2009 dated 20th January, 2009 issued from F. No. 605/70/2008-DBK and in order to facilitate the trade, a procedure for online transmission of Shipping Bills and Licenses/Authorizations issued under Duty Exemption Scheme (DES) and Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme (EPCG) from DGFT to Customs and vice versa through an Electronic Message Exchange System is being operationalized at this Port in respect of DES/EPCG licences issued on or after 1st April 2009. 3. As per the procedure prescribed by DGFT, Exporters apply for Advance licenses under Duty Exemption Scheme (DES) and licenses under Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme (EPCG) to DGFT. As per Para 4.12 of the Handbook of Procedures Vol. I, as updated on 11th April 2008, exports under DES can be started immediately on generation of file no. which is generated by DGFT on submission of application for licenses under DES. Accordingly DGFT would transmit the messages relating to File Numbers so generated by them to Customs so as to enable Customs to permit exports under DES. The exports under EPCG, as per the Foreign Trade Policy 2004-2009, can be started only after issuance of license. Accordingly, DGFT would transmit the License messages immediately on issuance of licenses under DES and EPCG scheme. 4. The licenses under above mentioned schemes issued by DGFT would be received online by Customs. Such licenses would be subjected to the prescribed online validation checks at ICEGATE and thereafter, the same would be available for use by the exporters at the port of registration for imports. Details of such licenses would also be available on the home page of website, www.icegate.gov.in. As mentioned above, exports under DES can be started immediately after receipt of file number message from DGFT by quoting the relevant File Number allocated by DGFT on the export documents. After issuance of licenses, exporters would be required to quote the relevant license number on the export documents. 5. The present procedure of registration of file number/license number and obtaining a Customs Registration number would be dispensed with and henceforth the license number and Customs Registration Number would be one and the same. As the licenses issued under DES/EPCG will now be received online from DGFT and would be available at this port, importers would be required to produce the hard copies of the licenses issued by DGFT along with bonds/LUTs and execute BG in accordance with the provisions of the Customs Circular(s) in force and as per the statutory requirements of the relevant Customs Notifications, to the designated officer, at this port as this port is the port of registration in the licenses, for raising debits in bonds/LUTs and monitoring such bonds/LUTs. Importers are required to quote the license number on the respective Import documents in case they intend to use the licenses. No manual debits would be made in hard copies of licenses at the time of assessment of Bills of Entry for imported cargo. 6. For monitoring of export obligation under licenses issued by DGFT under above mentioned schemes, Customs would transmit online all such Bills of Entry and Shipping Bills to DGFT wherever imports/exports have been effected under licenses received online from DGFT under DES/EPCG schemes. DGFT would transmit online an Export Obligation Discharge Certificate (EODC) in prescribed format containing details of Shipping Bills to Customs which would also be made available at this port. Based on this EODC, the designated officer at this port would release the bonds/LUTs and the BG, if any, after causing necessary verifications. 7. For any amendment in licenses issued under above schemes by DGFT, importer would obtain a log print of usage of license in prescribed format. DGFT would process amendment(s) of license based on log print of usage of license issued by Customs and transmit online the necessary amendment(s) of license to Customs. No imports under such license would be allowed after issuance of log print till the amendment message is received from DGFT. 8. The above procedure would be applicable in respect of file Nos./Licenses/Authorizations issued under Duty Exemption Scheme (DES) and Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme (EPCG) on or after 1st April 2009 by DGFT. The procedure as prescribed in above referred Public Notice No. 66/95 (CCP) dated 08.12.1995, including that of manual registration of file Nos./Licenses/Authorizations, would continue to be followed in case of file Nos./licenses, issued under these schemes, on or up to 31st March 2009. 9. Difficulties, if any, in implementation of this Public Notice may be brought to the notice of the undersigned, immediately. 10. All the Trade Associations/Chambers of Commerce and Members of Regional Advisory Committee and Custom House Agents Association are requested to publicise the contents of this Public Notice amongst their Members/Constituents, for their information and necessary action. (H. K. JAIN) COMMISSIONER