Page 55 - ELT_15th June 2020_VOL 372_Part 6th

2020 ] TIT-BITS A209

June 30 this year till September 30. The Foreign Trade Policy gives tax incentives
for goods and services under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme and
Services Exports from India Scheme.
[Source : The Indian Express, New Delhi, dated 2-6-2020]
Faceless E-assessment for Customs kickstarts from 8-6-2020
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (C.B.I. & C.) will roll-
out ‘faceless’ e-assessment for Customs clearance in Chennai and Bengaluru
from June 8. Elimination of physical interface between an assessing officer and
an asssessee is part of reforms in Customs clearance under the umbrella of ‘Tu-
rant Customs’. It will be rolled out pan-India by the end of the year.
“The Board has decided to begin Faceless Assessment in phases begin-
ning with Customs stations which already have the experience of the pilot pro-
grams,” the C.B.I. & C. said in a Circular.
To begin with, imports covered by Chapters 84 and 85 of the Customs
Tariff Act, 1975, which include machinery, mechanical appliances, electrical
equipment and parts, will be allowed for faceless assessment while going
through Customs. The Customs automated system will assign bills of entry filed
for import of these materials.
“The phased rollout plan envisages that faceless assessment shall be the
norm pan-India by December 31, 2020,” the Board said.
‘Turant Customs’ is aimed at speedy clearance of goods at air and sea
ports, which in turn will improve ease of doing business in India.
C.B.I. & C. has put into effect a proposal mooted in February to restruc-
ture Commissionerates to set up National Assessment Commissionerates (NACs)
with the mandate to examine assessment practices of imported articles across
Customs stations and suggest measures to bring about uniformity and enhanced
quality of assessments.
“The NACs would be put in place as and when faceless assessment is
rolled out in phases across the country,” C.B.I. & C. said, while notifying the
proposal on June 5.
Principal Chief Commissioners or Chief Commissioners concerned have
been directed to set up dedicated cells called ‘Turant Suvidha Kendras’ in every
Customs station manned by Custom officers to perform various functions, pri-
marily, accepting bond or bank guarantees, generating test memo and forward-
ing the samples, processing request for fee waiver for late filing, and carrying out
any other technical function.
[Source : The Economic Times, New Delhi, dated 8-6-2020]

Export duty cut on hides, skins of bovine likely
The Government is considering a proposal to cut duty on exports of
hides and skins of bovine from the current 40% with a view to boost its outbound
shipments, sources said. The All India Meat and Livestock Exporters Association
has been demanding complete elimination of export duty as the industry is get-
ting large number of enquiries from global markets. A proposal was supported
by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, stating that the reduc-
tion would benefit farmers in this business, sources said. The Commerce and

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