CBEC to set up ‘Customs Clearance Facilitation Committee’ for Land Customs Stations & Inland Container Depots [Read Circular]

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has recently issued a circular notifying the establishment of Customs clearance Facilitation Committees in the Commissionerates of Customs (Preventive) of Amritsar, Kolkata, Patna and Shillong along with in the Commissionertes having jurisdiction over the Inland Container Depots.

In the year 2015, the CCFCs have already been set up by the Board at each seaports and airports with a view to ensure expeditious custom clearance of imported and exported goods. The present establishment of the CCFCs is with a view to have a similar administrative arrangement for facilitation of trade in the Land Customs stations.

As per the circular, the Committee would consists of members who are senior-most from the departments such as Food safety standards Authority of India, Plant Quarantine Authorities, Animal Quarantine Authorities, Drug Controller of India, Textile Committee, Custodians, Land ports Authority of India, Forest and wildlife Authorities etc.

The Committees are entrusted with the functions of ensuring and monitoring expeditious customs clearance of imported and exported goods in terms with the prescribed rules and regulations, identifying and resolving bottlenecks in case of clearance of goods, initiating time release studies for improving the clearance time of the goods imported etc.