Import quota allocation for pet coke limits imports and prescribes application, reporting and reallocation procedures.
Procedure prescribes allocation of annual import quotas for calcined pet coke for aluminium production and raw pet coke for CPC manufacturing. Eligible industrial users must apply using ANF 2M and ANF-1 to the DGFT Exim Facilitation Committee with unit capacity and a valid SPCB/PCC consent certificate specifying monthly and yearly usage. Applications received by the deadline will be evaluated and allotments made by the Exim Facilitation Committee, with regional authorities issuing authorizations valid only until the end of the fiscal year; holders must report imports and may surrender unused quota for reallocation.

Deadline extension for Radiation Portal Monitors and Container Scanners; non compliant ports face derecognition for scrap imports.
The amendment extends the deadline for installation and operationalisation of Radiation Portal Monitors and Container Scanners at designated sea ports to 30.06.2019; ports failing to comply will be derecognised for import of un shredded metallic scrap with effect from 01.07.2019, pursuant to powers under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy and amendment of Para 2.54( v )(ii) of the Handbook of Procedures (2015-20).

Automated queuing of Bills of Entry: OOC officers receive FIFO assignments with manual override and in-system importer query option.
Automated queuing of Bills of Entry for Out Of Charge assigns BEs on a FIFO basis to OOC officers in the SUP role after mapping officers and custodians; transitional manual custodian-code entry is available for pre-existing BEs. Officers may set aside and later reactivate BEs; ACS role holders can change priority and reallocate BEs. Shed superintendents may raise in-system queries to importers for minor clarifications, returning BEs to officers upon reply, while major classification or valuation changes continue to follow the appraising route.

Earmarked fund for farmers to lower agri-commodity trading costs and subsidize participation under SEBI framework.
Stock exchanges must create a segregated fund comprising the regulatory fee foregone by SEBI to be used exclusively to facilitate participation by farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations in agri-commodity derivatives markets. Investment returns must be reinvested. Exchanges must prepare and publish an annual action plan for full utilisation in the succeeding financial year, detailing proposed financial assistance and activities, and notify SEBI. The fund may subsidise warehousing, assaying, packaging, transport, mark-to-market funding, broker fees, delivery charges and repository fees, subject to equitable distribution and prescribed caps.

Permission for shifting self-sealed containers can be granted by parking plaza Superintendent, subject to weekly reporting and ex-post approval.
Superintendent-level authorization permits parking plaza Superintendents to grant on-the-spot permission to shift self-sealed containers to buffer yards/CFSs, with a weekly record of permissions maintained and a consolidated report submitted to the Deputy/Assistant Commissioner on the forenoon of the succeeding Monday for ex-post facto approval; reiteration that advance-dispatched self-sealed containers need not be brought into parking plazas before the terminal gate open schedule; the modification to the earlier public notice operates as a standing order for officers and staff, and implementation difficulties are to be reported to the Deputy Commissioner in charge.

Automated queuing of Bills of Entry enables FIFO allocation to OOC officers and direct minor-query channels to importers.
Automated queuing assigns Bills of Entry to OOC officers by CFS/Custodian group on a FIFO basis; a transitional manual custodian-code entry allows placement of pre-existing BES into the automatic queue. The OOC screen includes options to set aside and later reactivate a BE, while AC Shed (ACS role) may change priorities and reallocate BES. A Comments-based query option enables Shed superintendents to raise limited documentary or minor clarification queries directly to importers, with importer replies returning the BE for office approval; major classification or valuation issues remain routed to appraising.

Automated customs queuing assigns Bills of Entry to custodians on FIFO, enabling set-aside, reallocation and importer queries.
Automated queuing under Turant Customs assigns Bills of Entry to OOC officers by CFS/custodian on a first-in, first-out basis; a supervisory manual-entry option allows placement of previously queued BEs into the automatic queue by entering custodian codes. Officers can set aside and later reactivate BEs; AC Shed in ACS role may change priority or reallocate BEs. Shed superintendents may raise direct importer queries via the OOC Comments field for minor documentary clarifications, with responses returning the BE to the office for approval.

Registration exemption for exclusive goods suppliers: higher threshold allows eligible taxpayers to cancel GST registration before notified cutoff.
Persons exclusively supplying goods whose aggregate turnover does not exceed the prescribed threshold are exempt from GST registration, subject to conditions: exclusive supply of goods, absence from compulsory registration categories, non-involvement in excluded supply categories, and the interplay with voluntary registration; eligible taxpayers may apply for cancellation of registration by the prescribed cutoff and must not have issued any tax invoice in the subsequent fiscal period to claim the exemption.

Country code reporting under FETERS: banks must capture ultimate exporter/importer country and update R Return reporting workflows.
A two character country-code (SWIFT code) must be added to the end of the BoP file-format under FETERS to capture the ultimate exporter/importer country; for imports, a revised Form A2 must record the "Name of the country providing ultimate services" for specified purpose groups, and Authorised Dealers must update systems to report R Returns on a fortnightly basis accordingly.

Export and import of Indian currency: individuals may carry new Rs200 and Rs500 notes to Nepal/Bhutan within Rs25,000 limit.
Individuals travelling from India to Nepal or Bhutan may carry Indian currency notes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series of Rs.200 and Rs.500 subject to an aggregate limit of Rs.25,000; currency notes up to Rs.100 remain allowable without limit. Authorised Persons must notify customers. The change is effected by amendment to the Export and import of Currency Regulations, 2015, notified in the Official Gazette and issued under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, without prejudice to other required permissions.

Document exchange under SASEC enables cross-border sharing of specified export declarations by email for verification and compliance.
Exchange under SASEC mandates email transmission of export declarations above a value threshold of USD 15000 between designated nodal officers at Agartala and Akhaura LCSs, listing consignor/consignee, goods description, HS code, FOB value, quantity, unit, and bill of export number and date; other declaration details may be shared on request. The scheme starts 01.04.2019, requires retention of printed email records, and permits use of the received data to verify corresponding Bills of Entry and obtain further consignment details.

Self-registration of imports enables pre-payment Customs Compliance Verification and system-triggered electronic clearance upon duty payment.
Importers may self-register imported goods on ICEGATE after arrival using electronic integrated declarations and digital signatures. A system-based Customs Compliance Verification (CCV) will permit proper officers to perform statutory verifications before duty payment; upon CCV completion the System will provide electronic clearance after duty payment under Section 47(1). ICES 1.5 retains RMS and agency interdictions, excludes interdicted Bills from automated clearance, and introduces automated FIFO queuing and CFS User Mapping to allocate Bills to OOC officers, including a designated group for facilitated consignments.

Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations compliance requires stakeholders to apply via ICEGATE and complete entity approval steps.
Applications to operate under the Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment Regulations must be submitted by the master applicant entity via the ICEGATE portal, listing authorized persons, intended operations and attaching supporting documents. Submitted applications will be routed to ICES for approval by the jurisdictional officer using the ENT APR role, which permits verification, approval or raising queries. Guidance notes and application materials are available on ICEGATE and the port customs website, and IEC holders should register on ICEGATE for e seal use.

Rebate of state and central taxes and levies: new RoSCTL replaces prior scheme with duty credit scrips and transitional claim rules.
RoSCTL replaces the prior Rebate of State Levies scheme with rebate rates notified by the Ministry of Textiles; claims under the old scheme are to be processed only for shipping bills with LEO dates up to the day before RoSCTL's commencement. DGFT will issue benefits as MEIS type duty credit scrips and detailed claiming, issuance and usage procedures are being finalised; until then, claims filed under existing scheme codes will be treated as RoSCTL claims. Systems updates are underway and staff must follow these instructions as standing orders.

Real estate GST: 1% affordable, 5% other, option for ongoing projects to retain old rates or adopt pro rata transition.
The Council implemented the 33rd Meeting decisions for Real Estate: effective GST at 1% (affordable) and 5% (other than affordable) without ITC; definitions from RERA; 80% procurement from registered suppliers or tax on shortfall under RCM (cement at higher RCM); creation of related 18%/18% entries for unregistered supplies to promoters; RCM and timing shifts for TDR/FSI/long term lease; amendments to ITC apportionment rules; transitional pro rata ITC formula for ongoing projects; one time option for ongoing projects to remain under old rates; and notifications effective 1 April 2019 subject to legal vetting.

Online filing requirement for restricted item exports shifts applications and consultations online, centralising authorisations with central authority.
Online filing is mandated for export authorisations of Restricted items (Non-SCOMET) via the DGFT E-COM module with required uploads (purchase orders, ANF 1 and specified documents); hard copies are not needed and a transition period allows offline submissions until the cut-off. From the transition end, export authorisations will be issued centrally by the Export Cell at DGFT Headquarters, while Regional Authorities will handle revalidation and penal matters and will issue authorisations only for permissions granted before the cut-off.

Eligible Foreign Investor participation in commodity derivatives limited to non-agricultural, cash settled, foreign currency denominated contracts based on overseas settlement prices.
EFIs may participate in IFSC commodity derivatives only in non-agricultural commodities; contracts must be cash settled based on settlement prices determined on overseas exchanges; and all transactions must be denominated in foreign currency. Exchanges must amend bye laws, rules and regulations and notify members and publish the provisions on their websites to implement these conditions.

Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies introduced for garment exports, replacing prior rebate scheme with new rates.
RoSCTL for rebate of State and Central taxes and levies on garment and made ups exports was notified and came into effect on 7 March 2019; rebate rates under RoSCTL have been notified and the prior Rebate of State Levies (RoSL) scheme for garments and made ups has been discontinued from that date. Stakeholders are referred to the circular and ministry notification for details and may report implementation difficulties to the issuing office.

Preventive vigilance by CBIC: intensify checks, form mobile squads, share intelligence, and seize illicit cash and contraband during elections.
CBIC field formations are directed to enhance the preventive vigilance mechanism during the 17th Lok Sabha election period by intensifying checking, surveillance and targeted enforcement against illicit movement of currency, liquor, gold, fake currency, narcotics and other contraband; constituting mobile squads and special teams; tasking intelligence units to develop actionable information; maintaining strict vigil on domestic and cross border movements; sharing detection and seizure intelligence with other government agencies and election authorities in real time; and reporting detections and results to the Board daily.

Effective tribunal representation requires prior case preparation, coordinated State Representation, and structured review of revenue-significant appeals.
Effective representation before the Commercial Tax Tribunal requires prior study of hearing-listed cases, proper coordination among nominated officers, and continuity in State Representation. Where no regular State Representative is available, the senior-most and experienced Deputy Commissioner should be assigned long-term duty, and in revenue-significant matters the concerned Deputy Commissioner may also assist. Earlier headquarters instructions for zonal committee-based scrutiny of appeals, identification of legal issues, and preparation of written submissions are reiterated, with regular compliance and reporting to the Case Section.