Page 58 - ELT_1st July 2020_Vol 373_Part 1

A32 EXCISE LAW TIMES [ Vol. 373

The move comes at a time when cooperative dairies are saddled with
skimmed milk powder stocks of about 125 lakh tonnes. With the lean season for
milk almost ending and monsoon rains setting in, it may worsen the glut situa-
tion. Milk procurement prices, too, have come down due to collapse of demand
during lockdown.
The latest decision is a reversal of the budget decision. In the Union
Budget 2020-21, the Government had withdrawn the concessional duty of 15 per
cent. applicable on imports of up to 10,000 tonnes of skimmed milk powder dur-
ing a fiscal under the Tariff Rate Quota Scheme.
Under the scheme, the Government allows import of four products -
maize (corn), “milk and cream in powder, granules”, crude sunflower seed or
safflower oil and fractions thereof; and refined rape, colza or mustard oil and
fractions thereof - at concessional rates of Customs duty.
The Centre has also allowed import of 1.5 lakh tonne each of refined
rape, colza or mustard oil and crude sunflower seed or safflower oil at 45 per
cent. and 50 per cent. duty, respectively.
[Source : The Indian Express, New Delhi, dated 25-6-2020]

C.B.I. & C. enables end to end paperless exports under
turant Customs
Shri Ajit Kumar, Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
(C.B.I. & C.) here on 22-6-2020 unveiled a Secure QR coded Shipping Bill that
would be electronically sent to exporters after the Customs allows export. This
eliminates in one stroke the requirement of the exporters having to approach the
Customs officers for proof of export. This also makes the end to end Customs
export process fully electronic, from the filing of the Shipping Bill to the final
order to allow export.
Today’s initiative in yet another step taken by C.B.I. & C. for fulfilling its
commitment to a Faceless, Paperless, and Contactless Customs under the umbrella of
its “Turant Customs” programme. These reforms are based on enhanced use of
digital technology to reduce the time and costs for the importers, exporters and
other stakeholders, thereby improving India’s ranking in the World Bank’s Trad-
ing Across Borders parameter of its Doing Business Report.
The launch of paperless documentation on exports is a sequel to a similar
initiative that was begun for imports w.e.f. 15th April, 2020. The electronic
transmission of the Shipping Bill would do away with the present requirement to
take paper printout of these documents thereby promoting Green Customs.
Equally importantly exporters would not have to visit the Customs Houses for
this purpose and can better utilize their time in promoting their business.
Shri Ajit Kumar informed that the endeavour is to leverage technology to
make the Customs clearance process more transparent and faster. Turant Cus-
toms, which has as its main component Faceless Assessment, would be imple-
mented in phases across the entire country by 1st January, 2021.
[Source : Press Information Bureau, New Delhi, dated 23-6-2020]

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EXCISE LAW TIMES  1st July 2020  58