Hazardous export cargo: clearance requires documentation, scanning at Distripark, and 'clean' movement slip verification before port entry.
Revised procedure requires hazardous export consignments to be accompanied by ISO certificate (if available), cargo analysis report and Material Safety Data Sheet; Class 5, 8 and 9 may be physically examined in authorised CFSs under expert supervision, while other classes must be scanned at the JNCH Distripark scanner with Let Export Order issued and a 'clean' stamp on the movement slip before port entry, and any adverse scan communicated immediately for further examination.

Direct Port Delivery procedures require advance intimation and defined verification steps to streamline container clearance and stakeholder responsibilities.
Consolidated directives govern Direct Port Delivery procedures at JNCH, specifying DPD client registration and documentation, roles and responsibilities of shipping lines, port terminals and CFSs, and extensions of DPD eligibility. It prescribes advance intimation requirements, time-bound evacuation expectations from terminals, scanning and examination procedures for RMS and non-RMS consignments, verification of Out of Charge (OOC) and delivery orders, and operations of the DPD/RMS Facilitation Centre to process releases on a continuous basis.

Drawback refund claims digitization enables centralized electronic submission, unique ID tracking and digital retrieval of claims.
A dedicated service centre at JNCH will receive drawback refund claims including claims under Section 74, assign a unique ID and issue an acknowledgement; a vendor will digitize the claim and documents (collecting a prescribed fee and issuing a receipt showing the unique ID) and the hard copy will be forwarded for processing. Supplementary documents may be submitted and digitized against the same unique ID without additional fee, while any change in the claim needs prior approval of the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner of Customs of the Drawback section.

DPD facility: immediate movement to preferred CFS required when goods need examination; time limits must not delay clearance.
When a DPD importer's bill of entry is not RMS facilitated or containers require examination due to a CSD hold, containers must be moved from the port terminal to the preferred CFS nominated by the importer. The importer must promptly engage and notify the selected CFS, shipping line and terminal operator to ensure evacuation without delay; clearance shall continue from the CFS as per normal procedure. Port terminals must not apply the 48-hour limitation to delay such movements. Specific difficulties may be escalated to the DPD Cell.

Foreign portfolio investor limits increased for government securities, with revised allocations effective and SEBI to issue operational guidelines.
Limits for investment by Foreign Portfolio Investors in Central Government Securities and State Development Loans are increased for April-June 2017, effective April 1, 2017; unutilised long term investor limits at end March 2017 will be released to the general category in April 2017. Existing conditions continue to apply, including security wise limits, coupons permitted outside limits, and a minimum residual maturity of three years; SEBI will issue operational allocation and monitoring guidelines.

GST Council approves draft rules on input tax credit, valuation, transitional provisions and composition; circulated for public comment.
The Council approved in principle four draft Rules-Input Tax Credit, Valuation, Transitional Provisions and Composition-and adopted amendments to five existing Rules on Registration, Return, Payment, Refund and Invoice/Debit Credit Note. These drafts and amended Rules will be circulated to States and placed in the public domain for comments; final versions will be returned to the Council after public consultation. Officers may make minor drafting changes; lottery valuation Rule for tickets to be deleted with taxation on face value; rate fitment proposals to be discussed only at Council meetings.

Customs EDI system launch enables computerized processing of import and export customs declarations at Bhavnagar port.
Launch of the Customs EDI System (ICES 1.5) at Port of Bhavnagar is announced, directing importers, exporters, customs brokers, manufacturers and other trade stakeholders that computerized processing of Bills of Entry and Shipping Bills will commence at the port and instructing affected parties to adopt the EDI interface for submission and processing of customs documentation.

Bill of Entry filing deadline tightened; late charges and expedited duty payment required, with transitional rules for earlier filings.
Amendments impose a late charge for delayed presentation of Bill of Entry by requiring presentation before the end of the next day after arrival at the customs station; BOE regulations set late charges and treat entry inwards or cargo arrival as the relevant date, with no charges for goods arrived before enactment. Separate amendment requires immediate payment of duty for self-assessed BOEs and accelerated payment where BOEs are assessed, reassessed or provisionally assessed after return, with transitional rules for BOEs filed before enactment.

Declaration filing extension under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana allows late Form No.1 submission if bank payment was made by March end.
Where taxpayers have paid the tax, surcharge, penalty and deposit under the Scheme but banks have not provided Challan Identification Numbers or deposit reference numbers, preventing upload of Form No.1, taxpayers who made such payments at banks by the closing hours of 31st March, 2017 are permitted to file the declaration in Form No.1 under the Scheme by 10th April, 2017.

Jurisdictional authority for SEZ refunds and demands shifts to customs and GST commissioners, altering refund processing and recovery.
Amendment to Rule 47 of the Special Economic Zone Rules assigns refund, demand, adjudication, review and appeal to jurisdictional Customs, Central Excise, Service Tax or GST authorities prospectively. A prescribed SOP requires refund claims to be filed with jurisdictional DC/AC, with Development Commissioner comments due within two weeks and speaking orders on sanction; draft demands are prepared by Development Commissioner offices and transferred with relied upon documents to jurisdictional DC/AC at least eight weeks before limitation expiry. Pending refunds that meet limitation and merit should be processed by customs officers; interest is calculated from receipt by jurisdictional formations. Exit duty liabilities are subject to SEZ exit provisions, with penal action by the Development Commissioner for specified foreign exchange failures, while duty demands are raised by jurisdictional authorities under the SOP.

Right to Information appeal and complaint procedures clarified, fixing filing requirements, fees, service rules and enforcement mechanisms.
The Right to Information Rules, 2017 establish procedural mechanisms for implementing the Act: definitions and institutional designations; a prescribed application fee and fee structure with exemption for persons below poverty line; multiple payment modes; detailed filing requirements, authentication and formats for appeals, complaints and non-compliance reports; rules for service and proof of service; criteria for return of defective filings and condonation of delay; Commission powers to receive evidence, inspect records, hear parties and third parties; bench allocation and hearing modalities; and language and seal provisions.

Import controls on un-shredded metal scrap require clearance through designated seaports and pre-inspection certificates from country of origin.
Imports of un-shredded metallic scrap must clear through notified designated seaports; ICDs may handle clearance only if consignments pass through those seaports. Import consignments require a pre-inspection certificate from the country of origin, superseding the earlier provision in Public Notice No. 23/2015-20, although the Pre-Shipment Inspection Certification requirement will be reviewed when the mechanism under Public Notice No. 38/2016 is operationalised and risk is assessed.

Deferred payment of customs duty available to certified AEO importers subject to ICEGATE login and nodal OTP authentication.
Deferred payment of customs duty is available only to AEO Tier-Two and Tier-Three importers who obtain ICEGATE login and nominate a nodal person for OTP authentication. Intimation to the Commissioner or AEO Programme Manager is required. The importer must flag the Bill of Entry with "D"; the nodal person authenticates one or multiple Bills via OTP to trigger Customs clearance. Due dates follow Rule 6, and importers may select and pay challans from the deferred period at any time. Reports are available in ICES.

Customs EDI modernization enables electronic filing and automated processing of import Bills and Shipping Bills via centralized ICES and ICEGATE.
Centralized ICES implementation at ICD Kheda mandates electronic filing and automated processing of import Bills of Entry and export Shipping Bills via ICES/ICEGATE, requiring registration of IE/IEC codes, Customs Brokers, shipping agents, DGFT licences and bank accounts; standardized use of currency, unit, country and port codes; checklist verification and job numbering; system driven valuation, duty computation and automated assignment to Appraising Groups; RMS guided facilitation and examination workflows; and integrated modules for licence/bond registration, export promotion scheme debits, drawback and refund disbursal.

PMGKY declarations: designated income-tax field offices remain open until midnight to facilitate late filing of declarations.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes directed that designated field offices of the Income Tax Department remain open until midnight on 31 March 2017 to receive declarations under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, applying to all jurisdictions to facilitate filing after normal office hours.

Purchase of foreign exchange restored to pre temporary limits; authorised persons must follow reinstated operational procedures under FEMA.
The Reserve Bank restores the prior regime for purchase of foreign exchange by authorised persons as set out in paragraph 4.4(e)(iii) of the Annex to A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.17, reversing temporary amendments that allowed limited weekly exchange for foreign passport holders, and directs authorised persons to follow the reinstated operational procedures; the directions are issued under the Foreign Exchange Management Act and do not affect other statutory permissions.

Export of carpet: use expert panels and nondestructive inspection; market enquiries within 15 days to protect export benefits.
Export of carpets under duty-drawback requires prompt, non-destructive determination of composition and value using expert panels including Carpet Export Promotion Council members or Textiles Committee Mumbai experts; market enquiries should be completed within fifteen days, export benefits may be withheld beyond that only with Commissioner's written approval, and exports must not be stopped. Inspectors must avoid damaging carpets during sampling; public notices and standing orders should be issued and difficulties reported to the Board.

Packaging compliance requirements for imported cigarettes require sale to consumer cooperatives or e auction if compliant, and mandatory destruction if non compliant.
Imported cigarette packs intended for retail must meet COTPA packaging and labelling specifications and Legal Metrology declarations; compliant seized/confiscated stocks may be sold to NCCF/Kendriya Bhandar or via e auction, while packs that do not meet statutory packaging, labelling or metrology requirements must be destroyed in consultation with State Pollution Control Boards. Where seizures involve suspected counterfeiting, Rule 11 of the IPR (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007 requires destruction or disposal outside normal commerce only with the right holder's concurrence.

E-payment deadline extension allows electronic tax payments until midnight with temporary extended bank counter hours.
Extension of the e-payment deadline and temporary adjustment of banking hours permit designated agency bank branches to keep counters open later on specified days to assist government business, while all electronic payment channels will remain available until midnight on the final date specified; trade associations are requested to inform their members of these operational arrangements so taxpayers may rely on extended counter availability and the midnight e-payment cutoff for remittances of government dues.

E-payment deadline extension: electronic payments allowed until midnight, with extended banking counter hours for specified dates.
Agency banks handling government business will extend counter hours on specified dates and electronic payment systems will remain available until midnight on the final date, allowing assessees to make e-payments until that midnight for Service Tax and other government receipts.