Warehouse licence applications must use the prescribed form; decisions issued within 30 days with centralized verification.
Board-prescribed application Form for licences under the Public/Private/Special Warehousing Licensing Regulations, 2016 standardises required information and declarations for new bonded warehouse applicants, functions as a premises and security checklist, and must be published on Commissionerate websites. The Bond Officer must examine and report within 15 days and the Principal Commissioner/Commissioner must decide within the next 15 days (target 30 days). Centralized post-verification via DRI (HQ) and DGCEI (HQ) is to be used without delaying grant; licences remain valid until surrender or cancellation, with annual insurance and solvency submissions required.

India-Mauritius DTAA review group to examine consequences of recent amendments and recommend administrative and regulatory responses.
A Joint Secretary led Working Group has been constituted to examine consequential issues from amendments to the India-Mauritius Double Taxation Avoidance Convention, comprising departmental officers and representatives of securities market stakeholders, tasked with analysing operational and regulatory implications and submitting recommendations to the tax administration within a short-term reporting period.

Indirect Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme allows declaration and discharge upon payment with immunity from prosecution.
Indirect tax disputes pending in appeal before the Commissioner (Appeals) as of 1 March 2016 are eligible for the Indirect Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme, 2016 covering Central Excise, Customs and Service Tax. A declarant submits a declaration to the designated authority, pays tax with interest and a 25% penalty within fifteen days of acknowledgement, and notifies the authority within seven days; on proof of payment the authority shall issue a discharge of dues within fifteen days, close proceedings and grant immunity from prosecution.

Krishi Kalyan Cess accounting codes assigned to segregate tax collections, interest, refunds and penalties under service tax framework.
Accounting and reporting arrangements were prescribed for the Krishi Kalyan Cess, effective from the commencement of Chapter VI of the Finance Act, 2016, and a new Minor Head "507 Krishi Kalyan Cess" with sub heads for tax collection, interest receipts, deducting refunds, and penalties was allocated by the Controller General of Accounts for use in government accounting.

Electronic records for warehoused goods required; monthly returns and acknowledgements ensure customs compliance and auditability.
Licensees must maintain detailed records of receipt, handling, storage and removal of warehoused goods in the prescribed Form A and store the prescribed data electronically with immediate entry upon deposit or removal; software must provide an audit trail and records must be available for verification by the Bond Officer. Licensees shall file a monthly return in Form A within ten days after month end and, where warehousing is expiring, furnish required information in Form B before the preceding 10th; returns are submitted as paper copies. Acknowledgements on receipt and appointment of authorised signatories and basic facilities are required.

Indirect Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme enables settlement of pending appeals by declaration and payment, securing closure and prosecution immunity.
The notice sets out the operational mechanics of the Indirect Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme, enabling declarants with appeals pending before the Commissioner (Appeals) to settle disputes by making a declaration and paying tax dues with interest and a portion of the penalty; prescribed forms govern declaration, acknowledgement (which suspends appeal proceedings for a limited period), deposit reporting, and issuance of a discharge order, after which appeals are removed from pendency without creating precedent.

Tax compliance rewards recognise VAT dealers; selection based on net tax paid and growth, subject to eligibility conditions.
Scheme awards ex-gratia recognition to VAT dealers for 2015-16 across turnover bands for highest tax paid or highest growth. Eligibility depends on net tax paid (admitted VAT/CST after deducting refunds and carried-forward tax credits); deposits of past-period dues in the award year are excluded. Dealers with declining tax, adverse records, outstanding unstayed demands, return defaulting, or departmental penalties in the preceding two years will be ineligible. A Reward Evaluation Committee of senior officials will determine entitlement, quantum, and mode of payment, with its decision final and binding.

ODI compliance: identify and verify beneficial owners above 25%/15%, maintain KYC, and report transfers and suspicious activity.
ODI issuers must identify and verify beneficial owners exceeding 25% (companies) or 15% (partnerships/trusts/unincorporated bodies) and, if no such owner is identified, verify the natural person(s) controlling operations; KYC documents per Annexure must be maintained and produced on demand.

Duty-free import procedure for nominated agencies requires bonds and bank guarantees; exporters must furnish proof of export.
Nominated agencies supplying duty free gold, silver and platinum must clear exempted imports on a bill of entry for home consumption and not under warehousing; transitional storage in existing licensed vaults is allowed. Agencies must execute bonds to maintain accounts and to cover duty liability if exporters fail to meet export obligations, and must furnish a bank guarantee with limited exemptions for designated banks and certain public sector undertakings. Exporters/EOUs must register or self declare, supply proof of export within the Foreign Trade Policy period, and nominated agencies must file monthly exporter wise accounts and deposit duty where export proof is not produced.

Execution of BG/LUT: manufacturer exporters must prove status to obtain reduced bank guarantee; others face full bond-backed security.
The Trade Notice directs that holders of Advance Authorization and EPCG Authorization claiming status as manufacturer exporter must independently prove that status to obtain the reduced security regime; demonstrable manufacturers qualify for a bond backed by reduced bank guarantee or cash security, whereas exporters unable to substantiate manufacturing must provide a bond backed by a bank guarantee covering the full excise-duty-savings exposure under the applicable customs instructions.

Indirect Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme enables declarants to settle pending appeals via prescribed forms and deposit timelines.
The Indirect Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme, 2016 allows appellants before Commissioner (Appeals) on 1 March 2016 to file a declaration with a designated authority under Rules that prescribe Form 1 for declaration, Form 2 for acknowledgement, Form 3 for deposit reporting (deposit within a fortnight of acknowledgement and report within seven days), and Form 4 for issuance of a discharge order; a named Assistant Commissioner is authorized as designated authority with secretarial support provided by the Superintendent, Tax Arrear Recovery.

Appointment of Standing Counsels: fresh panel designated to represent indirect tax litigation across High Courts under specified engagement terms.
A fresh nationwide panel of Senior and Junior Standing Counsels is appointed to handle Central Board of Excise & Customs indirect tax litigation for a three year term, superseding the earlier notification. Appointments are subject to the engagement terms in the Board's instructions of 5.12.2007 and supplemental instructions of 14.09.2012. The order lists counsel allocations by High Court, includes zonal and DRI allocations, allows field formations to avail DRI listed counsels and vice versa, and records concurrence of the Ministry of Law & Justice and the Integrated Finance Unit.

FPS benefits eligibility confirmed for Other Cast Articles of Iron and Steel under ITC HS grouping regardless of malleability.
All "Other Cast Articles of Iron or Steel" under the four digit ITC(HS) heading 7325 are eligible for FPS benefits irrespective of malleability; the entry at serial number 279 contains no malleability condition and therefore supports FPS claims for all cast iron and steel articles within that heading.

Government backed line of credit supports project exports with specified India sourcing and FEMA compliance conditions.
A Government of India supported Line of Credit by Exim Bank to the Government of Cote d'Ivoire finances eligible goods, machinery, equipment and consultancy services from India for an Electricity Interconnection Project, requiring at least 75% India sourced contract value and allowing up to 25% foreign procurement; the LOC is effective from May 26, 2016, with disbursement ending 60 months after project completion, shipments to be declared on EDF/SDF forms, and no agency commission payable except from exporter resources or EEFC balances subject to prevailing instructions and AD Category I bank compliance.

Warehouse licensing: prescribed application and centralized antecedent verification enable fixed processing timelines and license validity until surrender.
Prescribes a mandatory application form for new bonded warehouse licences under the 2016 Warehouse Licensing Regulations capturing applicant identity, site particulars, security and fire protection, IT inventory controls, intended goods, solvency certificate and statutory declarations. Bond officers must inspect and report within an initial period and the Principal Commissioner/Commissioner must decide within a further period so that overall processing meets the prescribed timeline. Centralized post verification through DRI (HQ) and DGCEI (HQ) is directed to avoid cross jurisdictional delays. Licences remain valid until surrender or cancellation, with annual submission of insurance and solvency documents required.

Customs Broker enrolment required under Regulation 24; failure to join the recognised association may prompt de-registration.
Customs brokers at Tuticorin must enrol as members of the recognised Customs Brokers' Association pursuant to Regulation 24 of the Customs Brokers Licensing Regulations, 2013, and forward the association-issued enrolment certificate to the Commissioner's office; failure to enrol and submit proof by the specified deadline may lead to de-registration.

Standard Gate Pass adoption under CODEX for authenticated, tracked movement of export containers to the port.
Declaration of a uniform CODEX Gate Pass as the standard Customs permission for movement of export containerised cargo from CFSs/ICDs to VOC Port, replacing varied local gate pass formats; the CODEX platform provides real-time data upload, barcode authentication and tracking. The CODEX Gate Pass must be stamped, signed and have gate-out time authenticated by Inspectors at CFSs/ICDs, with Port Green Gate Inspectors maintaining existing procedures except for accepting the new format. CONCOR CFS remains exempt until it joins CODEX.

Krishi Kalyan Cess imposed on taxable services, with exemptions, CENVAT credit limits and reverse charge application.
A Krishi Kalyan Cess is levied as an additional charge on taxable services effective 1 June 2016 to finance agricultural initiatives; its value is determined under the Service Tax (Determination of Value) Rules, 2006, and it is payable in addition to existing service tax. Notification No.28/2016 exempts services already exempt or not leviable to service tax, and the CBEC has prescribed accounting heads. CENVAT Credit amendments permit credit of the cess on input services but restrict utilisation to payment of the cess; reverse charge, composite rate option, rebate for exports and SEZ refund provisions are provided by separate notifications.

Warehousing reforms under the Customs Act: new licensing, lock-based movement, computerized records and revised bond requirements.
The amendments establish separate licensing regimes for Public, Private and Special Warehouses and require Special Warehouses storing notified classes of goods to operate under customs lock and obtain licenses under the Special Warehouse Licensing Regulations. Existing licensees have a transitional period to migrate to record-based controls. Escort requirements for intra-town and export movements are replaced by affixation of serially numbered one-time locks. Bonds and security formats have been re-prescribed, regulatory sampling in warehouses is permitted with recordkeeping obligations, and warehouse records must be computerized to access liberalized procedures.

Warehouse recordkeeping must be maintained electronically and monthly returns filed within ten days of each month.
Licensees must maintain immediately updated, accurate electronic records of receipt, handling, storage and removal of warehoused goods in Form A with an audit trail; file monthly paper returns in Form A within ten days after month end and Form B where warehousing periods expire, send acknowledgements upon receipt to originating customs or warehouse Bond officers, appoint authorised signatories with specimen signatures filed with the Bond Officer, provide necessary in warehouse facilities, and apply these electronic recordkeeping requirements to goods received on or after 14 May 2016.