Section 82 - Amendment of section 28

Customs penalty relief: prompt payment of duty and interest leads to waiver of penalty and conclusion of proceedings.

Section 28 is amended to allow that if a notice under clause (a) of sub-section (1) is served and duty with interest under section 28AA or interest specified in the notice is paid in full within thirty days of receipt, no penalty will be levied and proceedings shall be deemed concluded; the penalty rate in sub-section (5) is reduced from twenty-five per cent to fifteen per cent; and an Explanation declares that pending cases where an order under sub-section (8) has not been passed before enactment are deemed concluded if duty, interest and the applicable penalty are paid in full within thirty days of presidential assent, subject to sections 135, 135A and 140 as applicable.