Customs area declaration: Container Examination Yard at Kamarajar Port designated for import and export handling with immediate effect.
The Container Examination Yard at Kamarajar Port is declared a customs area for handling import and export cargo, with specified dimensions and geographical coordinates; all import/export procedures and controls are to follow the Customs Act, related laws and applicable notifications and public notices, and the declaration is effective immediately.

Self-certification of eBRCs lets exporters generate electronic certificates from bank IRMs, streamlining export realisation and reconciliation.
Upgraded eBRC system requires banks to transmit trade-related IRMs electronically to DGFT; IEC-linked exporters will access those IRMs on the DGFT portal and self-certify eBRCs by matching IRMs to shipping bills, SOFTEX or invoices. Banks can group or split IRMs across eBRCs, will have visibility of eBRCs created from their IRMs, and may flag eBRCs for examination. API integration by banks is mandated to enable prompt data exchange, and validation will use RBI purpose codes and published rulesets.

GST applicability on composite supplies: principal supply rate governs bundled electricity; pure agent actual-basis billing excluded.
Input tax credit in the same line of business is limited to passenger transport and renting with operator; leasing without operator is excluded. Electricity bundled with renting or maintenance is a composite supply taxed at the principal supply rate, while actual-basis pure agent billing for electricity is excluded from supply value. Job work converting barley to malt is classified as job work for food products and attracts the concessional job work rate. District Mineral Foundations Trusts are Governmental Authorities for exemption purposes. Horticulture services supplied to CPWD are exempt where goods do not exceed the prescribed value proportion.

GST rate on imitation zari thread clarified to include metallised polyester/plastic film; no refund for film inversion.
Imitation zari thread or yarn made from metallised polyester film/plastic film falling under HS 5605 are covered by the Schedule I entry for imitation zari and attract the reduced GST rate; no refund is permitted for polyester (metallised)/plastic film on account of rate inversion. The CBIC clarification has been applied mutatis mutandis under the Maharashtra GST Act and is clarificatory in nature.

Withholding of refunds under section 245(2) requires written reasons, JAO approval, and strict timelines for FAO and JAO.
Withholding of income tax refunds under section 245(2) applies where the refund meets a revised monetary threshold and requires a structured workflow: FAO notifies the JAO of likely demand; the JAO records non cursory written reasons analyzing the factual matrix (including financial condition, past demands and appeals), seeks approval from the Principal Commissioner, and communicates the final withholding or release decision to CPC within prescribed timelines.

Advance payment facilitation for import of silver by Qualified Jewellers permitted under specified procedural conditions.
AD Category I banks may remit advance payments on behalf of Qualified Jewellers notified by the International Financial Services Centres Authority for import of silver through IIBX, subject to the procedural and compliance conditions in A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.04 dated May 25, 2022 and pursuant to DGFT Notification permitting specified silver ITC(HS) codes.

Custodian appointment and CFS approval transferred to Transworld, conditional on AEO status and regulatory compliance.
The Commissioner approves transfer of the roles of Custodian and Customs Cargo Service Provider from M/s TG Terminals Private Limited to M/s Transworld Terminals Private Limited for the 60,650 SQM CFS, authorising the transferee to perform all CFS operations and custody functions under Chapter VIII of the Customs Act, 1962 and relevant regulations. The approval is conditional on compliance with the Customs Act and Handling of Cargo in Customs Areas Regulations, retention of AEO-LO accreditation (affecting validity to 21.05.2029 or otherwise five years), provision of MPCB consent in the transferee's name, and possible bank guarantee requirements if AEO status lapses.

GST applicability: clarifications on input tax credit, composite supplies, job work rates, and governmental exemptions.
Input tax credit in the same line of business is confined to passenger transport and renting with operator; leasing without operator is excluded and taxed like vehicle sale. Electricity bundled with renting or maintenance is a composite supply taxed at the principal supply rate, whereas bona fide pure agent reimbursements billed on actuals are excluded from value. Job work converting barley to malt attracts the lower job work rate for food products. State-set DMFTs are governmental authorities eligible for exemptions. Horticulture services to CPWD with goods 25% qualify for exemption under the specified notification.

GST rate classification for imitation zari clarified: metallised film-based yarn taxed at reduced rate; no refunds for film.
Imitation zari thread or yarn made from metallised polyester film or plastic film is classified under the imitation zari Schedule I entry and attracts the reduced GST rate recommended by the GST Council; no refunds are permitted for metallised polyester/plastic film on account of rate inversion.

GST applicability on services clarified: composite supply rules, pure agent treatment, job work for malt, and authority exemptions.
Clarification: "same line of business" for concessional passenger transport and renting with operator includes passenger transport and renting with operator but excludes leasing without operator; electricity bundled with renting or maintenance is a composite supply taxed as the principal supply unless supplied and billed by a supplier acting as a pure agent; job work converting barley into malt is job work in relation to food products and attracts the concessional rate for food-related job work; DMFTs set up by States qualify as Governmental Authorities for GST exemption; horticulture services to CPWD with goods value not exceeding 25% are exempt under specified state provisions.

Place of supply - default recipient location rule governs cross border transport, advertising display, and colocation hosting services.
Clarification prescribes that the default recipient location rule determines the place of supply for cross border transportation services (including mail and courier) where supplier or recipient is outside India: recipient location if available, otherwise supplier location. For advertising, sale or grant of rights to use hoarding space is treated as immovable property related with place of supply at the physical location; pure display services are governed by the default recipient location rule. Co location services are classified as hosting and IT infrastructure provisioning and follow the default recipient location rule, except where only physical space with basic infrastructure is supplied, in which case renting of immovable property rules apply.

Unclaimed amounts transfer to Investor Protection and Education Fund: procedure requires InvITs to escrow, disclose and process unitholder claims.
The framework requires Investment Managers to transfer distribution amounts unpaid or unclaimed fifteen days after declaration into an escrow-styled Unpaid Distribution Account within seven working days, designate a Nodal Officer, publish searchable details on the InvIT website, and maintain claim policies and records. Amounts unclaimed for seven years must be transferred, with accrued interest, to the Investor Protection and Education Fund (IPEF) within thirty days; defaults attract prescribed penalties. Unitholders must claim from the InvIT, which may pay and then seek reimbursement from IPEF using prescribed forms; the Board will verify refund applications and may require further information.

Unclaimed distributions procedure: REITs must escrow unpaid amounts and enable structured claims and refunds to protect investors.
REIT Managers must transfer distributions remaining unpaid or unclaimed after the short payment window into an escrow-style Unpaid Distribution Account, designate a Nodal Officer, publish searchable details and a claim policy on the REIT website, process verified claims by electronic payment within prescribed timelines, and preserve records. Amounts unclaimed for the statutory extended period must be transferred, with accrued interest, to the Investor Protection and Education Fund, with specified information submitted to the Board; late transfers attract fixed and continuing penalties. Managers may seek reimbursement from the Fund via prescribed refund applications and must indemnify the Board against future disputes, while the Board verifies and processes refunds.

Unclaimed amounts transfer framework requires listed non-convertible security issuers to escrow unclaimed payments and provide investor claim mechanisms.
Listed entities must transfer unclaimed interest, dividend and redemption amounts to an Escrow Account within seven days after a thirty-day claim period, pay penal interest to investors for delayed transfer, designate and disclose a Nodal Officer, provide a searchable website facility and a published claim policy, and preserve records. For non-company issuers, amounts unclaimed for seven years must be transferred to the IPEF with prescribed filing, disclosure and refund procedures; listed entities may seek reimbursement from IPEF after processing investor claims and must indemnify the Board against future disputes.

Fully Accessible Route expands to include sovereign green bonds, enabling non resident investment under FAR conditions.
All Sovereign Green Bonds issued by the Government in fiscal year 2023 24 are designated as specified securities under the Fully Accessible Route, making them eligible for non resident investment on the same unrestricted basis as other FAR securities. The Directions are issued under the Reserve Bank's statutory powers, without prejudice to permissions under other laws, and are applicable with immediate effect.

GST classification clarified: composite supply, pure agent, job work rates, DMFT governmental exemption, and CPWD horticulture relief.
Clarifies that reduced-rate passenger transport and renting with operator (SAC 9964/9966) qualify as the same line of business but leasing without operator (SAC 9973) does not; electricity bundled with renting or maintenance is a composite supply taxed at the principal supply rate while electricity supplied as a pure agent and billed at actuals is excluded from value; job work converting barley into malt is job work in relation to food products and attracts 5% GST; DMFTs set up by States are Governmental Authorities and eligible for exemptions; horticulture services to CPWD with goods value 25% are exempt under Sr. No. 3/3A.

GST classification of imitation zari yarn clarified; metallised polyester film supplies attract reduced tax rate and no refunds.
Imitation zari thread or yarn produced from metallised polyester film or plastic film, when converted to metallised yarn and combined with textile yarns, is covered by the tariff description for metallised yarn and is to be treated as imitation zari thread or yarn attracting the concessional GST rate. The GST Council also directed that no refunds be allowed on polyester (metallised)/plastic film due to inversion of tax rate, and implemented the change by amending the relevant notification.

Advance assessment of courier shipping bills enables pre-arrival evaluation on ECCS to reduce export dwell time.
Provision for Advance Assessment of Courier Shipping Bills has been implemented in the Express Cargo Clearance System so that CSBs marked for assessment are available to assessing officers before physical arrival of export consignments; field formations are to issue public notices and report operational difficulties.

Amnesty for export obligation default: eligible Advance Authorization and EPCG holders may opt for one time settlement under specified notices.
Amnesty scheme for one time settlement of defaults in export obligations is available to Advance Authorization and EPCG licence holders listed in Annexure A whose export obligation period has expired and who have not submitted the Export Obligation Discharge Certificate/Redemption Certificate; holders should refer to the cited Public Notices for conditions and may contact the Assistant Commissioner, EPSMMC, NS II, JNCH for assistance.

GSTIN amendment in bill of entry permitted once per PAN, with same-day amendment restrictions and OOC requirement.
Customs officers may amend the GSTIN in a Bill of Entry once provided the PAN remains unchanged; the system blocks multiple GSTIN amendments and disallows GSTIN amendment on the same day as any other amendment, requiring OOC to push amended data to the GSTN when sequencing restrictions apply.