New Delhi, Apr 15 (KNN) In order to mitigate the unprecedented situation due to Covid-19 pandemic, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Custom (CBIC) has taken a number of measures to facilitate & expedite Customs clearance process making it more and more contact-less i.e. automated and online as well as paper-less.

These measures include the facility to clear goods on the basis of an undertaking (not bond), acceptance of electronic Country of Origin certificate etc, CBIC said in a notification.

The Board has now decided to enable electronic communication of PDF based Final eOoC (electronic Out of Charge) copy of Bill of Entry (BoE) and e-Gatepass to the importers/Customs Brokers.

This electronic communication would reduce interface between the Customs authorities and the importers/Customs Brokers and also do away with the requirement of taking bulky printouts from the Service Centre or maintenance of voluminous physical dockets in the Customs Houses.

The Final eOoC copy of BoE and e-Gatepass copy will be emailed to the concerned Customs Broker and/or importer, if registered, once the Out of Charge is granted, CBIC notification said.

The e-Gatepass copy will be used by the Gate Officer or the Custodian to allow physical exit of the imported goods from the Customs area.

The electronic communication of the Final eOoC copy of BoE and eGatepass copy is expected to bring immense benefits in terms of time and cost of compliance and reduction in interface for the trade, while providing enhanced security features for verification of authenticity and validity of the electronic documents. This measure would be made effective from April 15, 2020, CBIC said. (KNN Bureau)