Tiruchi zone of Customs have made significant cut in time taken to clear goods being imported after the ships reach port, said Chief Commissioner of Customs (Preventive), Tiruchi zone, Ranjan Kumar Routray.
Addressing the inaugural function of Kern, Inland Container Port and Logistics Terminal near Madurai airport on Wednesday, Mr. Routray said that the clearance in the past used to take eight to 10 days after the importer paid the duty. But, after the Centre took conscious efforts to reduce the time, it had improved a lot.
He said that digitisation was also helping the Department of Customs and the importers and exporters. “Under the Single Window Clearance, when a document is filed online by the importer, it is sent to all agencies related to the commodity being imported. The importer need not go from pillar to post with documents for getting them cleared,” he said.
Stating that the system was getting matured, he said training was also being given to officials. Mr. Routray said that introduction of liberalised economy in 1990s, after command economy failed to deliver desired changes in economy of the country, had given a lot of benefits to the country.
The introduction of GST was successful though it was thought that the country was not ready for it. “As much as ₹9 lakh crore has gone to the government kitty in the last one and a half years,” he said. India’s ranking in ease of doing business had improved to 77th spot among 192 countries and was the best among neighbouring countries, he said.
Chairman of Kern ICD N. Kannan Narayanan said the new ICD was one of the biggest in the country. He said that ICD had all facilities such as getting customs clearance, exemption of duty and duty drawback. “Exporters from the region can either bring their stuffed container with e-sealing or bring their goods and stuff them here for clearance,” he said.
Exporter Tirupathi Rajan said an ICD run by Container Corporation in Koodal Nagar was closed in 1995. But the new facility would spur export from the region, he said.
