Financial close-out framework revised: highest trade date price plus markup and mandatory uniform auction mechanism for shortages.
In cases of shortage of delivery, exchanges/clearing corporations may effect a financial close-out at the highest price on the trade date (which becomes the trade price) with a 1% markup, and must introduce a uniform auction mechanism to deal with settlement shortages, with exchanges required to implement systems, amend bye-laws, and notify members.

Quality assessment reporting requirement increases monitoring; officers must submit detailed case compilations or face reporting consequences.
Pr. CCsIT/CCIT(central)/Pr. CCIT(International tax)/CCIT(Exemptions)/DsGIT(Inv.) must submit consolidated reports of quality assessment cases in the prescribed annexed format by the specified deadline, covering assessments up to the cut off date, indicating selection criteria, items of addition, penalty/prosecution status and supervisory notes; compilations must exclude PSU/government cases and recurrently contested additions, and failure or delay in reporting will be recorded and may be treated as absence of quality assessments for APAR purposes.

Jurisdictional RA choice for export incentive claims requires an annual option and prescribes MEIS/SEIS filing authorities.
Applicants must elect one Jurisdictional RA at the start of the financial year based on IEC endorsed office address; that election is fixed for the year. MEIS jurisdiction: DTA/EHTP/BTP/STP units use DGFT Jurisdictional RA; SEZ/EOU units use respective SEZ Development Commissioner; mixed units apply to respective jurisdictions. SEIS requires a single annual application: DTA units to DGFT RA, SEZ units to respective Development Commissioner, multiple SEZ units to the Commissioner of the SEZ with highest forex earnings, and mixed DTA+SEZ units to DGFT Jurisdictional RA.

Pre-shipment inspection agencies recognised for issuing PSICs; four agencies approved and additional instruments authorised under FTP.
Four private agencies (CWM Survey & Inspection; Global Multitrade Inc.; SMV International Incorporation; Nectar Inspection Services LLC) are recognized and included in Appendix 2G for issuance of Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificates for three years under Para 2.55(d) of HBP 2015-20. The notice lists each agency's offices, operational scope, and records approval of additional spectrometers and survey meters with calibration and purchase documentation in an annexure to validate equipment for PSIC issuance.

Checkpoint screening requirement: public entry limited to a designated entrance with metal detector and baggage scanning enforced.
A checkpoint screening facility using a RAPISCAN 620 DV and metal detector has been installed; all public and stakeholders must enter the New Custom House via the designated main entrance where hand baggage will be screened and persons will pass through metal detectors. Entry to the Annexe Gate is restricted to officials and staff only, who must carry no bags and produce Customs-issued identification. Implementation issues must be reported to the Additional Commissioner of Customs/Prev. (General).

Manual SMTP issuance for rail bound ICD cargo mandates email/SMS notification and immediate manual generation when system fails.
When system failures prevent electronic Entry Inward or SMTP generation for cargo destined to ICDs by rail, the Boarding Officer must email CONCOR, the terminal operator and designated customs officers with the date and time of Entry Inward and send an SMS to a responsible CONCOR officer requesting manual SMTP generation. Manual SMTPs must be provided immediately on site and are issued without waiting for full vessel discharge. Delays must be reported to designated customs officers by phone or email, the Boarding Office must submit a daily proforma report with vessel and timing details, and operational difficulties escalated to the Additional/Joint Commissioner in charge of Preventive General.

Endorsement of ARE-1 may be carried out by the Superintendent granting LEO after EGM, with no document production required.
Pending Board instructions, ARE-1 endorsement may be performed at all CFSs by any Superintendent responsible for granting LEO after the EGM has been filed; no supporting documents need be provided because export details can be verified using ICES 1.5. The Customs House has implemented interim arrangements for EP copy printing and temporary deployment of officers at Punjab Conware, and has referred the larger question of discontinuing ARE-1 endorsement to the Board.

DPD facility stacking rules clarified: advance intimation and stacking code determine container placement and terminal responsibilities.
Importers availing the DPD facility must send an advance intimation by official email to the shipping line containing Bill of Lading, consignment details, the DPD Client Code and preferred CFS/transport stacking code, with copies to Customs, the CFS/Transporter and the Terminal Operator; stacking will follow the indicated Stacking Code, CFS-stacked containers will not attract shifting charges if Out of Charge is obtained before removal, and where no advance intimation exists terminals will provisionally assign DPD codes, stack separately and apply the specified clearance and time-limit procedures.

Seizure orders under Section 110: formal written orders required alongside panchnama and statutory timelines must be met.
Proper officers must pass formal seizure orders alongside panchnama stating reasons to believe goods are liable for confiscation; if seizure is impracticable, serve an order prohibiting the owner from dealing with the goods and fast-track investigations to decide seizure or release. Statutory time limits for issuing show cause notices apply regardless of provisional release. Circulate these guidelines and report implementation difficulties to the Board.

Claim of rehabilitation scheme tax reliefs require prior central approval before allowance in returns to prevent revenue leakage.
Reliefs envisaged in sanctioned rehabilitation schemes do not operate automatically for tax purposes and may be claimed and allowed only after formal processing and issuance of appropriate orders by the central approving authority. Assessing Officers must examine company assessment records from the cut-off date to identify and remediate any instances where such reliefs were claimed and wrongly allowed without departmental processing or central approval.

Integrated Reporting encouraged for listed entities, enabling consolidated financial and non financial disclosures to aid investor decision making.
SEBI encourages Integrated Reporting by listed entities to present combined financial and non financial information, referencing IIRC guiding principles and six forms of capital. Integrated Reporting may be adopted voluntarily by top listed companies already required to prepare the Business Responsibility Report, and may be provided as a separate report, within Management Discussion & Analysis, or by cross reference to other reports to avoid duplication. Companies are encouraged to host the integrated report on their websites and reference it in the annual report.

Authorized Economic Operator programme expands trade facilitation with tiered certification and enhanced customs procedural benefits.
The notice introduces a unified Authorized Economic Operator programme with tiered certification for importers/exporters and other operators, making eligible entities-including certain small and medium businesses-that demonstrate internal controls and compliance. It lists operative benefits including Direct Port Delivery and Direct Port Entry, acceptance of self certified certificates, paperless declarations, request based inspections, accelerated drawback/refund/adjudication processes, export facilitation, and deferred payment of customs duties, and identifies client relation managers for trade assistance.

Amendment of authorised import and export items allowed with nexus certificate by independent Chartered Engineer and specified export proof.
Permits EPCG authorisation holders to apply for amendment of authorised import and export item lists while authorisation or export-obligation period remains valid, requiring justification and a fresh nexus certificate from an independent Chartered Engineer; clarifies third-party export proof as either an ARE-1 certificate with Customs authentication and shipping bill details or an invoice quoting the EPCG authorisation number and date where not registered with Central Excise.

Income Tax assessment module enables issuing summons, requisition notices, and referring cases for special audit with MIS and support.
The ITBA Assessment module enables Assessing Officers to issue summons under section 131, requisition notices under section 133, and refer cases for special audit under section 142(2A), with functionality to generate documents, record responses and statements, attach documentary evidence and audit reports, and to view related MIS lists. Users require name-based departmental email IDs, RSA tokens and provided credentials; training materials and a helpdesk are available to support use.

Income Tax Appeal Register & CSR module provides workflow to generate CSRs and manage appellate filing, tracking, and approvals.
The ITBA Appeal Register & CSR module centralises CSR generation and appellate workflows: PCIT records appellate order receipts in an Appeal Receipt Register to fix limitation dates and enable AO-initiated CSR workflows; AOs analyse orders and submit to Range Heads; Range Heads may draft grounds and recommend appeals; PCIT records decisions, issues directions and authorisations; for ITAT matters PCIT drafts Substantial Questions of Law and the matter proceeds to CIT(Judicial) and CCIT for decision; for High Court orders Proforma B is prepared and forwarded to the Directorate of L&R when filing is proposed. The module supports printing, delegation, MIS/dashboard reporting, and requires departmental email IDs and RSA tokens.

Mandatory bill of entry filing imposed, with late charges and accelerated duty payment and streamlined refund treatment.
Amendments in the Finance Bill, 2017 require filing the Bill of Entry by the end of the next day after arrival at the customs station, authorize prescribed late charges for delayed filing, mandate same day payment of duty for self assessed Bills of Entry and one day payment after return for reassessed or provisional entries with interest liability, and provide that refunds of excess duty evident in self assessed or reassessed Bills of Entry are outside the scope of unjust enrichment.

Printing of Export Promotion copies limited to eligible shipping bills; exceptional printouts provided on demand to facilitate trade.
Printed Export Promotion (EP) copies will be available only for shipping bills filed on or before the cutoff; an EP Copies Print Section at Punjab Convare is operational to clear pending printouts. Routine printing of transactional documents has been discontinued per the Board Circular, but exceptional printouts (e.g., manual BoEs or on insistence of importer/exporter) will be provided on demand. Other contents of the original Public Notice remain unchanged.

Rebate of State Levies on exports: CBEC issues implementation guidance for exporters, clearing agents and trade compliance.
Rebate of State Levies (ROSL) on export of made-up articles is being implemented through an administrative circular which provides procedural direction for operationalising ROSL; customs officers are to follow the circular's measures and exporters, clearing agents and the trading public are directed to consult the departmental website for the full text and guidance.

Amendment to customs notification implements budgetary changes, requiring importers and clearing agents to follow issued guidance.
Seeks amendment of Notification No. 12/2012-Customs to implement budgetary changes through Notification No. 06/2017, which is issued for guidance to importers, clearing agents and the trading public and made available on the departmental website.

Customs duty reduction on machinery for fuel cell and biogas systems facilitates importation for setup and demonstration.
Basic Customs Duty reduced to 5% on machinery for initial setting up of fuel cell based power or demonstration systems and on balance of system components operating on biogas, bio methane or by product hydrogen; the change is notified by Notification No. 05/2017 customs and published for guidance of importers, clearing agents and the trading public via the Department of Revenue/CBEC website.