Extension of annual return filing deadline under GST: returns for the July 2017-March 2018 period allowed until 31 March 2019.
An Explanation is inserted into the annual-return provision declaring that the annual return for the period from 1 July 2017 to 31 March 2018 shall be furnished on or before 31 March 2019, to address difficulties caused by delayed electronic filing system availability.

Brand rate drawback: pending claims will be processed at zero rate unless sanctioned proof is submitted; supplementary claims remain available.
Pending brand rate drawback claims must be supported by either the brand rate sanction/fixation order from the jurisdictional Central Excise authority or, if no fixation exists, a copy of the exporter's application plus a self declaration (both attested by the jurisdictional Deputy/Assistant Commissioner of Central Excise). Absent these documents within the prescribed period, claims will be processed at zero brand rate; exporters may subsequently file a supplementary claim under the applicable procedure.

Works contract GST adjustment: revised method to calculate GST-inclusive balance work value and adjust contractor payments.
Where tenders were invited under pre-GST SoR-2014 but work paid after 30 June 2017, determine item-wise balance quantities and original values, compute revised item values using Revised SoR-2014 (removing embedded pre GST taxes where necessary), apply the tender premium/discount proportionately, add the applicable GST rate to obtain the GST-inclusive balance work value, document calculations in the prescribed annexure, execute a supplementary agreement reflecting the revised GST-inclusive value, and reimburse or recover any differential between revised and original balance values; procedure applies to all contract modes and F2 contracts require item-wise adjustments.

Relaxation of additional fees for CRA 4 filing extended to ease compliance with XBRL cost audit reporting deadlines.
The circular directs a regulatory relaxation of additional fees payable on CRA 4 (Cost Audit Report in XBRL format) and an extension of the last date for filing, implemented in response to stakeholder requests and approved by the competent authority, to facilitate timely electronic submission where additional fees would otherwise apply.

Significant beneficial ownership disclosure required in shareholding pattern using prescribed Table V format, effective from quarter ending March 2019.
All listed entities must disclose significant beneficial owners using the prescribed Table V format, which records details of the significant beneficial owner, the registered owner, particulars of shares in which significant beneficial interest is held, and the date of creation or acquisition of such interest; terms follow the Companies (Significant Beneficial Owners) Rules, 2018, stock exchanges must notify and disseminate the circular, and the requirement takes effect from the quarter ending March 31, 2019.

Disposal of unclaimed cargo: structured Section 48 procedure mandates notices, NOCs, regulatory clearances and staged e auctions.
Prescribes an expedited procedure under Section 48 of the Customs Act, 1962 for disposal of unclaimed/un cleared cargo: custodians must list consignments unclaimed over thirty days, notify importers and shipping lines, prepare inventories and obtain Customs NOCs; Customs will segregate lots, require regulatory clearances or testing where necessary, and permit e auction of approved lots. Valuation by government approved valuers sets reserve prices; auctions follow a four round sequence with specified bid treatments. Post sale, custodians file consolidated bills of entry, Customs assesses duty within fifteen days, and goods are released on payment; sale proceeds are disbursed under Section 150.

Paperless processing under eSANCHIT lets exporters upload and link digitally signed supporting documents for electronic Shipping Bills.
Nationwide implementation of paperless processing under eSANCHIT allows authorized persons to upload digitally signed supporting documents to ICEGATE for Shipping Bills, obtain Image Reference Numbers for post-filing uploads, and link documents to Shipping Bills via amendments. Customs will access these electronic documents in ICES for assessment, raise queries requiring online responses, record examination results and issue Let Export Order online. Authorized persons must retain original supporting documents for five years and produce them when required. The facility is voluntary initially, subject to review and subsequent mandatory introduction.

Proper description of goods required in manifests and bills of lading, failure may trigger customs penalties and inspection delays.
Carriers and shipping lines must fully and accurately declare the description of goods in the Import General Manifest and Bills of Lading under Section 30 of the Customs Act; mis declaration attracts penal provisions under Section 111(f) and Section 112. IGM entries must correspond to Bills of Lading and include specific descriptions-size, brand and specifications where possible-so as to enable pre arrival processing and non intrusive inspection. Shipping lines must obtain importer details and impress upon exporters to provide complete cargo information to ensure correct filing.

Cyber Security Operation Center requirement mandates round the clock monitoring, incident sharing and governance for market infrastructure institutions.
MIIs must establish a Cyber Security Operation Center (C-SOC) providing 24x7 identification, monitoring, analysis, response, recovery and reporting of cyber incidents. The C-SOC shall perform continuous threat analysis, log and traffic monitoring, VAPT, forensic and root cause analysis, simulations, automation and DR parity; be headed by a CISO reporting to the MD & CEO; deploy designated security technologies; follow a board approved Cyber Crisis Management Plan; adopt one of the specified in house or shared staffing models while retaining ultimate responsibility; provide quarterly board reports; and include C SOC implementation in the annual systems audit.

AEO programme digitization enables online filing and processing of AEO-T1 applications while allowing transitional manual filing.
A newly launched web portal enables online filing and processing of AEO-T1 applications and issuance of digitized certificates, supported by a circulated Guidance Note. Manual filing will continue concurrently until the prescribed transition cutoff to avoid delays, but users are urged to adopt the online system. The periodic review and onsite PCA cycle for AEO-T1 and AEO-T2 is extended to three years, with the Directorate empowered to initiate reviews at any time if adherence to AEO conditions is in doubt. Trade publicity and a contact email are provided for implementation issues.

Disposal of unclaimed cargo: mandatory notices, NOC clearance and e auction procedures ensure expedited sale with Customs oversight.
Expedited disposal regime requires custodians to list cargo unclaimed beyond thirty days, notify importers to clear goods within ten days, and submit inventories to Customs; Customs will segregate consignments needing retention, grant NOCs for auctionable lots or identify external regulatory/testing requirements, and cooperate in sample checks. Custodians must obtain valuations from approved valuers to set reserve prices, conduct e auctions through an approved platform with Customs oversight, file consolidated buyer wise bills of entry post sale, and obtain duty assessment and out of charge orders before release, with sale proceeds disbursed under statutory provisions.

Drawback claims: pending shipping bills must be regularised or they will be processed as zero drawback after the deadline.
An alarmingly large number of shipping bills are unprocessable for duty drawback due to Airlines not filing EGMs and due to EGMs filed with errors. The Commissionerate has published lists of affected shipping bills and calls on Airlines, Exporters, Customs Brokers and trade bodies to identify and rectify the EGM/ECM defects. The notice serves as an intimation of deficiency under Clause 3(a) of Rule 13 of the Drawback Rules, 1995, and warns that unrectified claims will be rejected and processed as zero drawback without further notice; contact details for Drawback officers are provided.

Disposal of unclaimed cargo: e-auction process with custodian inventories, Customs NOC and regulatory clearance controls.
Procedure prescribes a staged mechanism under Section 48 for disposal of unclaimed/uncleared cargo: custodians must list cargo, update importer details, serve notices, prepare inventories and seek Customs NOC. Customs will segregate consignments requiring retention or regulatory clearance and identify those fit for e-auction; where testing or external NOCs are required, custodians arrange testing and obtain clearances before auction. Auctions use reserve prices fixed by approved valuers, sales are regularised through consolidated bills of entry, Customs assesses duty and sale proceeds are disbursed under the Customs Act.

TIR Carnet transit procedure: standardized Customs sealing, voucher checks and NGA guarantee mechanisms govern international road transit.
Prescribes operational framework for movement of goods under TIR Carnets in India: FICCI is the National Guaranteeing Association; carnets serve as Customs transit declarations and guarantees; Customs procedures at departure, transit and destination require inspection, sealing, voucher retention and exchange, comparative checks, and inquiries for irregularities; NGA liability is limited, excludes alcohol and tobacco, and Customs must first seek payment from liable persons before claiming from the NGA; AEO-LO holders may be authorized to use TIR subject to a written declaration and specified container and seal safeguards.

Paperless LPCO submission by government agencies enables digital linking of licences to customs entries for faster clearance.
PGAs must upload digitally signed Licenses/Permits/Certificates/Other Authorizations (LPCOs) onto e-SANCHIT; beneficiaries cannot upload LPCOs. Beneficiaries must register on ICEGATE to receive a Unique Image Reference Number (IRN) for each PGA-uploaded LPCO. The IRN must be tagged to the Bill of Entry or Shipping Bill to enable customs clearance; amended LPCOs require re-upload with a new IRN and corresponding amendment of the entry. If an IRN is not tagged at filing, the beneficiary may link it by amendment at the Service Centre.

Transhipment procedure for export cargo enables monitored transit via LCSs with ECTS sealing, bill of transshipment and bond safeguards.
The pilot permits transhipment of export cargo from Bangladesh through specified LCSs to Nhava Sheva port under Section 54 of the Customs Act. Shipping lines file a Bill of Transshipment in triplicate, procure and record an ECTS seal, and supply a bond equivalent to twice the goods' value. Customs officers verify sealing at LCS, supervise any transfer to Indian conveyances or approved rail operators, and at the port validate seal integrity via the ECTS web application before permitting loading and recording manifest details; trip reports enable crediting or cancellation of bonds and trigger action on unauthorized unsealing.

Import quota correction: errata revises pet coke import allocation and imposes environmental guideline compliance for imports.
Errata to Public Notice No.50/2015-2020 amends the subject to specify Raw Pet Coke allocation for CPC manufacturing, requires imports to comply with Ministry of Environment guidelines, corrects the CPC manufacturing industry allocation to 0.7 Million MT, and limits relevant import authorisations' validity to 31.3.2019.

EOU compliance amendments clarify customs and excise exemptions, GST interaction, updated notifications and revised B 17 bond procedural requirements.
Amendments align Customs and Central Excise notifications with FTP 2015-2020 and post GST law: imported goods may be temporarily cleared without payment of customs duties, IGST and compensation cess not paid at import while GST liability on supply is governed by GST law; duties on DTA clearance correspond to the exemption availed at import with depreciation allowed for capital goods and transaction value treatment for leftover textiles. The amendments update job worker GST registration rules, replace obsolete notification references, extend specified re import periods for certain electronics, and introduce a revised B 17 bond for new EOUs.

Discharge of bonds by nominated banks via electronic export proof submission ensures expedited customs confirmation and release.
An electronic procedure requires nominated agencies/banks to submit prescribed export proof-EP copy of Shipping Bill, Customs-attested invoice, and bank certificate of realization/eBRC-via a dedicated email. The Assistant/Deputy Commissioner must acknowledge within 24 hours, issue a deficiency memo for incomplete submissions (requiring missing documents within five days), and may requisition other documents only with Additional Commissioner approval. After receipt or verification of documents, the officer will confirm export within seven days and discharge the bond within seven days of confirmation.

Line of Credit support for export finance enabling water project procurement, subject to FEMA compliance and export eligibility.
Exim Bank extended a Government of India supported Line of Credit to Tanzania to finance water supply projects, permitting financing of eligible exports from India under the Foreign Trade Policy. At least seventy five percent of contract value must be supplied from India, with the remainder procurable from outside India. The LoC specifies a terminal utilization period after project completion; shipments must be declared in the Export Declaration Form. No agency commission is payable under the LoC, though exporters may use own resources or EEFC balances for commission subject to realization and AD Category I bank compliance. Directions issued under FEMA.