Operationalization of Certain Functionalities in ICEGATE and Streamlining of processes in System related to Bonds and First Check BEs - Customs - PUBLIC NOTICE No. 43/2020

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS, INLAND CONTAINER DEPOT, PATPARGANJ OTHER ICDs, NEAR GAJIPUR, DELHI-110096 C. No. VIII/6/ICD/PPG/ Reg-Comp/Public Notice/03 Dated: 14.07.2020 PUBLIC NOTICE No. 43/2020 Sub: Operationalization of Certain Functionalities in ICEGATE and Streamlining of processes in System related to Bonds and First Check BEs - reg. Attention of Importers/Exporters, Custom Brokers, Trade, Customs Staff and other stakeholders is invited to the above mentioned subject. With the objective of further facilitating trade and streamlining procedures, particularly to overcome the scourge of Covid-19, following initiatives are being implemented in system. Registration of Authorised Dealer Code, Bank Accounts through ICEGATE: 1. Exporters are presently required to register their Authorised Dealer (AD) Code and Bank Account(s) for purposes of remittances and availing export benefits respectively at every Customs station. Even though it is an one-time procedure, it requires physical interaction between the Customs and the trade and submission of physical documents by the latter. Being a manual process, it causes delays impacting exports besides requiring the exporters or their representatives to personally visit the Customs Houses. Same is the case for the process of updation of Bank Account details. On review, this procedure has been done away with. 1.1. The Directorate General of Systems, CBIC has now enabled a functionality within ICEGATE login which allows the exporters to make an online request for registration/modification of their AD Code I Bank Account(s) and also electronically submit the Passbook copy or Bank Authorisation letter through e-Sanchit. The exporters would also have access to a Dashboard to view the status of approval and acceptance at PFMS, for quick rectification at their end. The detailed step-by-step guide is available on the ICEGATE portal at https://www.icegate.gov.in/Download/Bank Account Management Advisory. pdf. 1.2. The Principal Commissioner/Commissioner of Customs is advised to ensure that the concerned Customs officer completes the approval process for registration/updation of the Authorised Dealer (AD) Code and Bank Account(s) details in ICES within the same working day of receiving the applications, if all requirements are submitted in ICEGATE. Further, if any deficiencies are noticed, the same shall be communicated to the exporter via the Customs Automated system, who would then make required rectification through ICEGATE portal. 2. Automated debit of bond after Assessment: 2.1. Presently, importers or their representatives are required to physically visit Customs House for physical debit of Bonds after the Bill of Entry is returned (to the importer) for the payment of duty. On review, it has been decided to do away with this requirement. Instead, ICES would automatically debit the Bond and reflect the same in the first copy of the Bill of Entry, provided the details of the Bond are provided during submission of the Bill of Entry. As has been re-iterated earlier, trade is encouraged to use a continuity bond to avoid procedures related to repeat submission of Bonds. 3. Streamlining of workflow in case of First Check BE: A. Currently, a first check BE has to be activated by the appraising officer after it comes back from the Shed with the first check examination report. This adds one additional step and at times, creates delays in assessment of such consignments. Sometimes, the importer has to visit the assessing officer for the activation of the Bill of Entry. This becomes all the more challenging in the case of faceless assessment where the BEs get assessed at some other port. Recently, the list of all BEs pending activation was being shown to the officer as a pop up so that necessary action can be taken suo motu. Now, the need for activating has been done away with and the Bills of Entry will automatically come to the assessing officer's queue after being marked by the Shed officers with completed first check examination. B. Further, there was no facility earlier with the appraising officer to seek additional inputs from the examination officers in case the first check report is incomplete or not sufficient to assess BE. Now, in such cases, the AC can again mark the BE back to the examiner by entering N when asked to confirm whether assessment is complete. Only when Y is entered by the AC, the assessment will be considered as complete by System. C. First check BE when comes to SUP queue, it sometimes comes with CFS code as FAC which may create issue in marking it to INS. To resolve this issue, now first check BE would be routed to SUP with CFS code indicated as 'NOCFS' and the Supdt/AO can exercise the already existing option in SUP role to enter the CFS code and send it to INS. 4. Simplified Registration of Importers/Exporters in ICEGATE: 4.1. Although simplified Registration module for importers/ exporters based on verification provided in associated GSTIN has been provided without the requirement of digital signature, since many importers / exporters have not availed the same, various functionalities available in the ICEGATE portal cannot be accessed by them. These functionalities are useful to the importers / exporters and would help them in their management of imports and exports. Some of these functionalities are Management of Bank Accounts, Ledger View, IGST Refund status, Query Reply etc. Therefore, importers / exporters are advised to register on ICEGATE and conduct their Customs clearances through electronic interface. The simplified registration on ICEGATE can be done easily in few moments by following the steps given in the link at https://www.icegate.gov.in/Download/Advisory for Simplified %20Registration at ICEGATE_vl.pdf. 5. The aforementioned initiatives are expected to enhance trade facilitation as well as improve the efficiency of the Customs processes. Therefore, the trade is advised to make full use of the new initiatives and make their Customs clearance process a pleasant experience. 6. Difficulties, if any, may also be brought to the notice of the Additional Commissioner of Customs, ICD PPG Others ICDs, New Delhi. 7. This issues with the approval of the Commissioner of Customs, ICD PPG Others ICDs, Delhi. (Dr. Abhishek Chandra Gupta) Additional Commissioner, ICD-PPG other ICDs, New Delhi