Extending e-SANCHIT Facility to Tuticorin Custom House - Procedure for uploading of Documents - Customs - PUBLIC NOTICE NO. 03/2018

MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS CUSTOM HOUSE, NEW HARBOUR ESTATE, THOOTHUKUDI - 628004. C.No.VIII/48/06/2016 -Cus.pol. Customs Policy Section, Custom House, Tuticorin. Date: 01.03.2018 PUBLIC NOTICE NO. 03/2018 Sub: Extending e-SANCHIT Facility to Tuticorin Custom House - Procedure for uploading of Documents-Reg. Attention of the Exporters/ Importers/Custom Brokers/Stakeholders and all concerned is invited to CBEC Circular No. 40/2017-cus. dated 13.10.2017 regarding pilot implementation of application for uploading of supporting documents with digital signature electronically i.e., e-SANCHIT. The facility to upload digitally signed supporting documents is now being introduced in Tuticorin Custom House on voluntary basis. 2. Though this facility is being provided to the Trade on Voluntary basis, every Customs Broker and self-filer (all ICEGATE users) has to develop the capability to use e-SANCHIT as envisaged in Customs Circular No. 40/2017. The concept of e-SANCHIT is likely to be made mandatory with effect from 15 March, 2018 and hence all concerned are advised to use e-SANCHIT on a regular basis. It is informed that those Custom Brokers and self filers who do not file even a single Bill of Entry under e- SANCHIT before March, 8, 2018 will not be permitted to file documents on ICEGATE after March 8, 2018. 3. Under CBEC Circular No. 10/2015, dated 31.03.2015 and Circular No. 26/2015, dated 23.11.2015, Bills of Entry are required to be submitted by authorized persons on ICEGATE after affixing their digital signatures. Now, under this facility of uploading of digitally signed supporting documents, the authorized persons (Importers/Customs Brokers) are also required to submit all the supporting documents online on ICEGATE after affixing digital signatures. 4. The detailed Procedure for uploading the supporting documents as mentioned in the above Board's Circular, shall be as under: 4.1. For uploading documents on ICEGATE the authorised persons must open ICEGATE URL: https://www.icegate.gov.in. Click on login/sign up button for login into ICEGATE by using his/her access credentials and then click on e-SANCHIT link provided in left vertical menu to redirect on e-SANCHIT. The step-by-step procedure for upload of supporting documents is provided on the ICEGATE website. While preparing a job for submission on ICEGATE in their respective Remote EDI Systems (RES), the authorised persons must ensure that they have uploaded all the. necessary supporting documents. A facility has also been provided on ICEGATE to the authorised persons to access and view the documents uploaded by them. 4.2. In case the authorised person seeks to provide a document after generation of the Bill of Entry number, he/she may first upload the document on ICEGATE, obtain a unique ID image Reference number(IRN) for the document and link that document with the corresponding Bill of Entry by submitting an amendment at the Service Center. This procedure will also apply when the authorised person submits a document in response to a query raised by Customs for a Bill of Entry. 5. Assessment and Document Verification Once a Bill of Entry has been filed, Customs officers will be able to access the uploaded electronic versions of supporting documents while viewing or assessing the Bill of Entry on The Indian Customs EDI System (hereinafter referred to as ICES ). During assessment, ICES provides for a query to be raised in order to call for additional documents or information. 16 response to a query, supporting documents can also be uploaded online by following the procedure described above. All documents required for the purposes of assessment would be viewed online. In due course, the facility to view supporting documents will also be extended to officers of the Participating Government Agencies (PGAs). Post Clearance Compliance Verification (PCCV) will be carried out online based on the electronic versions of supporting documents instead of hardcopy dockets of the Bills of Entry. 6. Goods Registration, Examination Clearance After filing of the Bill of Entry, the authorized person (e.g. importer/Customs Broker) may with his self-assessed copy of the Bill of Entry, approach the designated place for goods registration, document verification and clearance. In case goods are to be examined, the officer examining goods may record the results of inspection/examination online on ICES. 7. Some types of supporting documents are required to be presented in original (as specified in the respective notifications) for verification of seal/signature etc., for defacement and for the debit of quantities/value. Trade should present hardcopy at the time of the registration of goods. It may however be noted that all supporting documents shall be uploaded digitally, including those documents that must be presented in hardcopy. For supporting documents, where a debit of quantity/value is required to be made on hardcopy, for every subsequent Bill of Entry filed for import, the latest debit sheet shall be uploaded. The authorized person filing the Bili of Entry should pay attention while linking supporting documents with Bills of Entry and should ensure that the correct unique reference numbers (IRNs) are mentioned in the Bills of Entry. Manifest Closure 8. With the submission of supporting documents online, the manifest closure department of the Custom House will not receive hardcopies of dockets. 9. The Bill of Entry (Electronic Integrated Declaration) Regulation, 2011, was placed on the CBEC website since August 4, 2017 for public feedback. The updated draft Regulations provide for the authorized person to submit digitally signed electronic integrated declarations (Bills of Entry) and supporting documents and dispenses with the need for trade to submit the corresponding hardcopies. The draft Regulations also provide that the authorised person shall retain, for a period of 5 years from the date of acceptance of the Bill of Entry, all supporting documents in original, which were used or relied upon by him in submitting the electronic integrated declaration, and shall produce them before Customs or other Government agencies in connection with any action or proceedings under the Customs Act 1962 or any other law for the time being in force. 10. A file containing Frequently asked questions and their answers are also available on the ICEGATE website for reference and guidance. 11. Difficulties faced, if any, in the implementation of this Public Notice may be brought to the notice of this Office immediately. (K. V.V. G. DIWAKAR) COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS