GOVERNMENT OF
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE &
INDUSTRY
DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF
FOREIGN TRADE
Policy Circular No.
48(RE-2005)/2004-2009
Dated: 10th February
2006
Subject: Online submission of applications
Attention
is invited to Policy Circular Nos. 21 dated 17th August 2005, 28
dated 6th October 2005 and 44 dated 10th January 2006
where the method of submission of various categories of applications was laid
down. Representations have been received from the trade and industry that the
procedure for opening Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) accounts with the DGFT
designated banks is time consuming and the mandatory requirement of submitting
licence fee through the EFT mode only may be deferred to a future
date.
2.
It has therefore been decided to make the system of remitting licence fee
through the EFT mode optional till 31.03.2006. The exporter will now have an
option to remit licence fee either through the EFT payment gateway of the DGFT
designated banks on the DGFT website dgft.gov.in OR
submit the licence fee through a Treasury Challan or Demand Draft. However, it
may be clarified that the mandatory electronic submission of certain category of
applications i.e. Advance Licence (excluding Para 4.7 and DFRC applications),
Advance Licence for Annual Requirement, EPCG Licence and DEPB Licence (for EDI
shipping bills from notified EDI Ports w.e.f.
01.10.2005) with digital signature on the DGFT website will continue. Wherever
applications are submitted with digital signature only a 25% fee concession will
be applicable and those submitted with digital signature and EFT will get a 50%
fee concession. Regional Licensing Authorities may therefore accept licence fee
through a Treasury Challan or Demand Draft even for those applications which
have been submitted before the issue of this Circular.
3.
In exceptional circumstances, EDI Custom ports allows
clearance of export shipments on manual DEPB Shipping Bills instead of EDI DEPB
Shipping Bills. At present, the DGFT EDI system does not allow filing of ECOM
applications on the DGFT website in case of manual DEPB shipping bills from
notified EDI ports and the exporter, in these cases, has to necessarily submit a
manual DEPB application to the concerned Regional Licensing Authority in the
Aayaat Niryaat Form along with necessary documents in original and payment of
full fee. In the interest of trade facilitation, the earlier system of filing
ECOM applications on the DGFT website in case of manual shipping bills from
notified EDI ports is being re-introduced and no manual DEPB applications will
be allowed. The exporter will have to submit an ECOM application on the DGFT
website with digital signature only with the option of payment of licence fee
through EFT or Treasury Challan/ Demand Draft. In all these cases, a single hard
copy of the ECOM application (as generated on the DGFT website link ‘Print
Application’) along with supporting documents i.e. manual DEPB shipping bills,
BRC, fee etc. should also be submitted to the Licensing Authority. However, the
DGFT EDI system will allow ECOM applications for such category of applications
only after 30 calendar days have elapsed from the date of manual DEPB shipping
bill from notified EDI ports. Regional Licensing Authorities, before allowing
such DEPB claims must ensure that the shipping bills submitted along with the
DEPB applications are manual DEPB shipping bills and not EDI shipping bills.
Necessary checks are also being built into the DGFT EDI system to restrict the
possibility of such claims as an EDI shipping bill.
4.
Similarly, for DEPB claims based on manual DEPB shipping bills from non EDI
ports (as distinct from notified EDI ports), only ECOM applications on the DGFT
website will be allowed and no manual DEPB applications will be allowed. The
exporter will have to submit an ECOM application on the DGFT website with
digital signature only with the option of payment of licence fee through EFT or
Treasury Challan/Demand Draft. In such cases, a single hard copy of the ECOM
application (as generated on the DGFT website link ‘Print Application’) along
with supporting documents i.e. manual DEPB shipping bills, BRC, fee etc. should
also be submitted to the Licensing Authority.
5.
Trade and Industry is also requested that necessary formalities for
operationalising EFT accounts with DGFT designated banks may be completed before
31.03.2006 to ensure that their import/export shipments are not effected. No
further extension beyond 31.03.2006 will be considered.
This issues with the approval of the
DGFT.
(Anil Aggarwal)
Joint
Director General of Foreign Trade
(Issued from File No 01/02/31/AM06/
EDI)