MANU/CUCR/0018/2020

Ministry : Ministry of Finance

Department/Board : CBEC Customs

Circular No. : 19/2020-Customs

Date : 13.04.2020

To,

All Principal Chief Commissioners/ Chief Commissioners of Customs/ Customs (Preventive),
All Principal Chief Commissioners/ Chief Commissioners of Customs & Central tax,
All Principal Commissioners/ Commissioners of Customs/ Customs (Preventive),
All Principal Commissioners/ Commissioners of Customs & Central tax,

Madam/Sir,

Paperless Customs - Electronic Communication of PDF based Gatepass and OOC Copy of Bill of Entry to Custom Brokers/Importers

In order to mitigate the unprecedented situation due to Covid-19 pandemic, CBIC has taken a number of measures to facilitate & expedite Customs clearance process making it more and more contact-less i.e. automated and online as well as paper-less. These measures include the facility to clear goods on the basis of a undertaking (not bond), acceptance of electronic Country of Origin certificate etc. These steps complement the earlier reforms unrolled as a part of Turant Customs such as online query module, eSanchit, web based goods registration, electronic processing of DGFT issued licenses, machine release of imported goods based on Customs Compliance Verification and electronic transmission of PDF based First copy of Bill of Entry (BoE) to Customs Brokers and registered importers.

2. The aforementioned reforms combine to expedite Customs clearances and reduce the transaction cost. At the same time, Board notes that the specific measures that reduce interface between the Customs authorities and the importers/exporters/Customs Brokers are especially relevant in these challenging times, to tackle the scourge of Covid-19 pandemic. In this direction, Board has now decided to enable electronic communication of PDF based Final eOoC (electronic Out of Charge) copy of BoE and eGatepass to the importers/Customs Brokers. This electronic communication would reduce interface between the Customs authorities and the importers/Customs Brokers and also do away with the requirement of taking bulky printouts from the Service Centre or maintenance of voluminous physical dockets in the Customs Houses. The Final eOoC copy of BoE and eGatepass copy will be emailed to the concerned Customs Broker and/or importer, if registered, once the Out of Charge is granted. The eGatepass copy will be used by the Gate Officer or the Custodian to allow physical exit of the imported goods from the Customs area.

3. Salient features of the secure electronic ........