Sub: Improving Trade Facilitation- reg.

1. Attention of all the Appraisers/Superintendents and Deputy/Assistant Commissioners of Customs, in charge of Import Docks under the jurisdiction of Nhava Sheva- I to V Commissionerates are hereby invited to the fact that any task related to examination of goods needs to be attended to promptly in time- bound manner and due care should be taken while raising queries. Queries need to be cogent, crisp and to the point. Raising frivolous, irrelevant, invalid queries in repetitive manner results in increase of dwell time for clearance of the consignments and in turn leads to harassment of the genuine importers.

2. In view of focus of the Department on improving ‘Ease of doing Business’ in India for the Exim trade, the officers viz. Appraisers/Superintendents shall ensure that the consignments are cleared expeditiously and properly, without any undue delay. In case of any discrepancy being observed during the course of examination, the same shall be recorded at the earliest and be communicated to the importer properly.

3. In view of foregoing, it is hereby again directed that:
(i) All queries raised by Appraisers/Superintendents shall be examined and approved by the concerned Deputy/Asstt. Commissioners of Customs in charge of Import Docks. Further, it shall be ensured that no query is raised without proper study of the matter. Deputy/Asstt. Commissioners of Customs in charge of Import Docks must discuss the query with Group DC/AC before raising it, wherever possible. In Import Docks, all queries shall be sent to the Group only with approval of the Addl. Commissioner of Customs, Docks concerned. Addl. Commissioner of Customs, Docks shall ensure that no irrelevant/invalid query is raised.

(ii) Deputy/Asstt. Commissioners of Customs in charge of Import Docks shall monitor the pendency of Bills of Entry pending for ‘Out of Charge’ on daily basis. They shall review the pendency of long standing Bills of Entry in queue and periodically monitor such pendency to ensure that no such pendency is on account of want of any action to be taken on the part of Docks officers.

4. All Deputy/Asstt. Commissioners of Customs in charge of Import Docks will attend the office on time and ensure that they leave office only after work is completed.

5. Each Deputy/Asstt. Commissioners of Customs in charge of Import Docks shall have an Open House from 11.00 to 12.00 hrs on Monday/Wednesday/Friday to deal with any queries relating to any pending Bill of Entry in the Docks. Any problem that he/she cannot resolve will be referred immediately to the Addl. Commissioner of Customs in charge of Import Docks.

6. Addl. Commissioner of Customs in charge of each Import Docks will:
(i) Conduct surprise checks from time to time, at least once in a week and submit a report in this regard to Commissioner concerned.
(ii) Have a collective meeting of all five Import Docks on every Saturday to discuss common issues, major objections, detection etc.
(iii) Submit a monthly performance report to Commissioner concerned, including dwell time analysis of the CFS concerned.
(iv) Take a round of Docks at least twice a week.
(v) Have an Open House on every Monday morning from 12.00 to 13.00 hrs to redress problems of the trade regarding any Bill of Entry, pending in the Docks. The outcome of this Open House shall be brought to the notice of Commissioner concerned.

7. These directions need to be adhered to strictly and any deviation in compliance of the same shall be viewed seriously.

8. Difficulties faced, if any, in implementation of this Standing Order may be brought to the notice of the undersigned.

9. This is applicable to all Import Docks under NS-I to NS-V.

10. This issues with the approval of the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Mumbai- II, JNCH, Nhava Sheva.

–sd–
(15/07/2015)
(SEEMA JERE BISHT)
COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS, NS- I & III
(IN- CHARGE APPRAISING MAIN, IMPORT)
JNCH, NHAVA SHEVA

Copy to:
1. The Chief Commissioner of Customs, Mumbai- II, JNCH, Nhava Sheva
2. The Commissioners of Customs (NS- II, IV & V), Mumbai- II, JNCH, Nhava Sheva
3. All Addl./Joint Commissioners of Customs, Mumbai- II, JNCH, Nhava Sheva
4. All Deputy/Asstt. Commissioners of Customs, Mumbai- II, JNCH, Nhava Sheva
5. All Appraisers/Superintendents posted in Import/Export Shed, Mumbai- II, JNCH, Nhava Sheva
6. Website of JNCH, Nhava Sheva