The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has introduced a major overhaul of vessel entry and departure procedures by allowing remote cargo clearance and removing the mandatory physical boarding of vessels by customs officers.
Under a circular issued last week, the board has also made online filing of the ‘sea arrival manifest’ and ‘sea departure manifest’ cargo declaration messages compulsory under the Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations. The move is aimed at enabling customs officers to grant vessel clearances remotely.
The initiative is expected to streamline port operations, reduce vessel delays and support a faceless, paperless and risk-based customs administration framework across Indian ports.
CBIC has directed field formations to grant ‘entry inward’ and ‘sail-out clearance’ promptly after the required documents are filed and prescribed checks are completed, without insisting on physical boarding of vessels.
According to the circular, physical boarding by customs officers will now be carried out based on risk profiling of vessels. Customs authorities have been advised to develop mechanisms considering compliance history, voyage nature and other relevant parameters linked to cargo safety and security.