In a bid to streamline cargo operations in the country, the Central Board of Excise and Customs has come out with Handling of Cargo in Customs Area Regulations, 2009 which will provide a comprehensive mechanism for handling of goods in a customs area and set out the terms and conditions for all facilities where customs cargo is handled.
The regulations, which also spell out the infrastructure facilities in customs area and have called for appointment of customs cargo service providers, have been framed based on the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee in 2005-06.
All customs facilities including ports, airports, Inland Container Depots, Container Freight Stations, and Land Customs Stations would be termed as a ?customs area? and now come under the new rules.
?A customs cargo services provider would means any person responsible for receipt, storage, delivery, dispatch or otherwise handling of imported goods and export goods or an authorise custodian of such goods,? as per the CBEC circular.
The cargo service providers would be expected to keep a record of the imported goods and also keep an eye on exports coming into the country. To ensure that there is no duty evasion, they can not permit any export cargo to enter the customs area without a shipping bill or export bill. They would also be responsible for the safety of the cargo and will be liable to pay duty on goods pilferaged after entry in customs area.
They will also be responsible for disposing off any imported or export goods lying unclaimed, uncleared or abandoned in customs areas.
Further a person applying for the position would have to enter a bond agreement with the department. The bond would be equal to the average duty to be paid in importing the goods and 10% of the value of export goods that are expected to be stored in the customs area during a period of 30 days.