First time importers verification of documents - Customs - PUBLIC NOTICE NO. 37/2020

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS GST BHAVAN, 41/A, SASSOON ROAD, PUNE-411001. F. No. CUS/SIIB/First Time Importer/PB(2020-21 Date: 20.07.2020 PUBLIC NOTICE NO. 37/2020 Subject :. First time importers verification of documents-Regarding. Attention of all the Importers and member of the Trade in the jurisdiction of the Customs, Pune, is invited to Public Notice dated 03.03.2010, regarding submission of documents and procedure to be followed in case of first time importers. 2. The verification of the first time importers through ICDs/CFSs and ports located in Pune Customs Commissionerate will henceforth be done as per the following revised guidelines. The following documents are required to be submitted by the First Time Importers before commencement of imports. (i) Copy of VAT/ Sale Tax/GST Registration Certificate. (ii) Certificate from the Bank, with whom the Bank Account is being maintained by the importer certifying the signatures, name and address of the importer, the purpose of remittance of foreign exchange to the effect that account is being maintained satisfactorily. (iii) Proof of payment/ remittance through the importer's account. (iv ) Balance Sheet of the previous year (v) Copy of last Income Tax Return/ Vat or Sales Tax Return filed 3. The above documents will have to be submitted before One week of the arrival of the consignment, by the importer or his Customs Broker to the DC/ AC of the ICDs/CFS, as the case may be. The Customs Brokers are expected to play a positive role in this regard in terms of Rule 10 of the Customs Broker's Licensing Regulation Rules, 2018. If there is any difficulty in making available any of these documents, the importer may approach Additional/ Joint Commissioner, 4th Floor, GST Bhavan, 4 IA Sassoon Road, Pune-411 001 for relaxation. 4. Further, if an importer has imported through any other Customs House and submits proof of past Import made, then, normally, fresh set documents should not be insisted upon, except for random verification, wherever necessary. 5.1 ADC/ JC incharge of SIIB, shall ensure that physical verification of the address declared in the IEC (only in case of Traders) is completed in atleast 10% of the cases within a week of submissions of the documents and will be responsibility of SIIB to complete the verification process and accordingly inform the same to the respective DC/ AC of the ICDs/CFS. In case of any adverse report indicating nuis-declaration, ADC/ JC incharge to initiate preventive measures including putting an suitable alert against such IEC in ICES. Further, a suitable remark should be inserted in the data base hosted against such importer/ exporter. 5.2. For verification of out station addresse , Customs House Authority nearest to that address, may be requested to verify th address of the first time importer. 6. NOC, from SllB (Hdqrs) is not rcquired in case of Manufacturer Exporter, however, in respect of Traders/ Merchant Exporters the documents submitted at ICDs/CFSs and ports, may be sent to SIIB (Hdqrs) for verification and NOC. 7. Examination of goods in respect of First Time Import in all cases should be done as per the prescribed checks/ examination norms by the officer posted at the ICDs under the supervision of DC/ AC in charge of ICDs/CFSs and ports. Further, ADC (JC incharge of SIIB, shall ensure that 100% examination of imported goods of First Time Importer, shall be done under the supervision of SIIB, if there is any information/ intelligence against the said importers. 8. Difficulties, if any, faced in the implementation of this Public Notice may be brought to the notice of the Additional/ Joint Commissioner of Customs, Pune. This issues with the approval of the Commissioner of Customs, Pune. (Vaishali Patange) Joint Commissioner Customs, Pune