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2020 ] DEPARTMENTAL CLARIFICATIONS T29

AEO certificates expired/expiring between 1-3-2020 and 31-5-2020 to 30-6-2020,
except for those entities against which a negative report is received during this
period.
4. Wide publicity may be given to this Circular by way of issuance of
Trade/Public Notice. Difficulties, if any, in the implementation of this Circular
may be brought to the notice of this office.
[M.F. (D.R.) Circular No. 27/2020-Cus., dated 2-6-2020]

Turant Customs — 1st phase of All India rollout of Faceless
Assessment — Clarifications
Subject : 1st phase of All India rollout of Faceless Assessment - Regarding.
Kind reference is invited to Circular No. 9/2019-Customs, dated 28th
February 2019 [2019 (365) E.L.T. (T57)], which communicated Board’s decision to
implement the next generation reforms in the Customs clearance process under
the umbrella of Turant Customs with the objectives of speedy clearance,
transparency in decision-making, and ease of doing business. Subsequently,
Board rolled out numerous changes to the Customs clearance process, which
combine together support Turant Customs. These initiatives include the self-
registration of goods by importers, automated clearances of bills of entry,
digitisation of customs documents, paperless clearance, etc. The stage is now set
for the roll out of the most critical reform under the Turant Customs viz.,
Faceless Assessment.
2. The first pilot programme of Faceless Assessment (at times also
referred commonly to as anonymised assessment or virtual assessment) covering
articles primarily falling under Chapter 84 of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 was
begun in Chennai on 14th August, 2019. Similar pilot programmes were
subsequently begun in Customs formations in Delhi, Bengaluru, Gujarat and
Visakhapatnam for articles primarily falling under other varied chapters such as
Chapters 85, 86 to 92, 39, 50 to 71 and 72 to 83 of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975.
Taking into account the lessons learned from these pilots, a consultation paper
was placed in the public domain on 18th February 2020 for further comments
and feedback. A large number of useful inputs were received in response and
these have been taken on board for revising the process flow and modalities for
implementing Faceless Assessment. Thus, Board is now ready to launch Faceless
Assessment pan India. At the same time, noting that Faceless Assessment is a
complete departure from the existing manner of Customs assessment, there is a
need to introduce the changes in phases which would give the trade and other
stakeholders (including the Customs officers) time to adapt to the changed
scenario without any disruption of work. Thus, Board has decided to begin
Faceless Assessment in phases beginning with Customs stations which already
have the experience of the pilot programmes. Therefore, the first phase would
begin from 8th June 2020 at Bengaluru and Chennai for items of imports
primarily covered by Chapters 84 and 85 of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975. The
phased rollout plan envisages that Faceless Assessment shall be the norm pan
India by 31st December 2020.
3. In order to introduce Phase 1 of Faceless Assessment at Bengaluru
and Chennai from 8th June 2020 for imports primarily made under Chapters 84

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