Electronic filing and designated official email: communications must be in searchable PDF for acknowledgement and tracking.
Launch of the e-Office application in the Import Commissionerate establishes a paperless channel for official communications. Taxpayers must use electronic communication in PDF format, preferably searchable, and include mobile number and email to receive immediate acknowledgement and a diary number. A single official email address is designated as the authorised point of contact for the Import Commissionerate, and all communications must be sent only to that address to ensure they are attended to.

Auto Let Export Order under ECCS expedites export clearance where courier shipping bills are fully facilitated by RMS and x ray.
The circular introduces Auto Let Export Order (Auto LEO) in the Express Cargo Clearance System (ECCS): CSBs under ECCS remain subject to the Risk Management System (RMS), and where a CSB is fully facilitated by RMS (no assessment or examination) and cleared by customs x ray scanning, ECCS will automatically grant LEO to reduce dwell time of courier export shipments.

E-Office implementation mandates exclusive electronic file opening and legacy migration, with a designated official email for communications.
Immediate adoption of the E-Office application is mandated: all new files must be opened electronically, physical files shall not be opened without the Commissioner's concurrence, and legacy files must be migrated on priority for electronic processing. Training materials and learning resources, including the Central Secretariat Manual on e-Office Procedure, are made available to users. The Commissionerate designates a single official email ([email protected]) as the exclusive point of electronic communication, and officers must report implementation difficulties to the undersigned.

Faceless Assessment rollout expands nationwide to standardise customs classification, valuation and timeliness of import clearances.
The Board directs an All-India roll-out of Faceless Assessment under the Turant Customs programme by 31 October 2020 and constitutes eleven National Assessment Centres (NACs) organised by commodity groups. NACs, co-convened by designated Principal Chief Commissioners/Chief Commissioners and staffed by nominated Principal Commissioners/Commissioners, must ensure timely, uniform assessments, harmonise classification, valuation and application of Compulsory Compliance Requirements, study audit and appellate inputs, analyse RMS data, constitute Working Groups, coordinate with specified Directorates for risk, valuation, training and systems support, and undertake pre-launch preparations including officer nomination and ICES training.

Transshipment facilitation extended: sealed container and closed truck exports allowed through additional land customs stations for Nepal and Bangladesh.
The Board expands the transshipment under ECTS procedure by permitting export of sealed consignments in containers and closed bodied trucks from all ICDs and specified CFSs through additional Land Customs Stations, expressly adding Fulbari, Changrabandha and Jaigaon to the list of authorised road LCSs for exports to Nepal and Bangladesh; Gede and Petrapole remain authorised for container exports to Bangladesh by rail. Circular 52/2017 is modified to this extent and implementation difficulties are to be reported to the Board.

Export of Finished Leather standards updated; specified categories and testing requirements govern license-free exports under foreign trade policy.
DGFT prescribes which products constitute Finished Leather for the Export Policy entry and allows those listed to be exported without licence provided they comply with specified manufacturing norms and conditions. The notice lists discrete leather categories with required operations (tanning, dyeing, fatliquoring, finishing, buffing, shaving, oiling, rolling), dimensional or density thresholds, and instrumental test criteria (chromatography, spectrophotometry, microscopic examination, CIE L measures). New types may be exported subject to testing and certification by the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI).

e-Office launch promotes paperless departmental communications; stakeholders must submit searchable PDFs and contact details for electronic acknowledgement.
Launch of e-Office in the Import Commissionerate at Tughlakabad mandates digitization to promote a paperless environment, enhance efficiency, transparency, accountability and data security. Stakeholders are encouraged to send communications in searchable PDF format and provide mobile numbers and email addresses to receive electronic acknowledgements and the allotted Diary Number. Trade bodies are requested to circulate the notice and report difficulties or suggestions.

Plant quarantine enforcement: mandatory inspection of unsolicited seed parcels to prevent introduction of invasive pests and pathogens.
No parcel of any seed shall be released without proper and thorough inspection under the Plant Quarantine regulatory framework to prevent entry of new pests and diseases; special vigilance is required for consignments arriving by courier or postal services. This Public Notice operates as a standing order for customs officers and staff and must be strictly complied with.

Verification of certificates of origin: importer due diligence and CAROTAR procedures required for preferential tariff claims.
Section 28DA and CAROTAR, 2020 require importers to retain prescribed minimum information demonstrating how goods satisfy Rules of Origin, and impose on importers a continuing duty to exercise reasonable care regarding the accuracy and truthfulness of origin claims. Before seeking verification from partner countries, officers should first obtain information from importers under the CAROTAR procedures; verification requests to exporting-country authorities must follow prescribed SOPs, include representative CoOs and full documentary evidence, be approved by the jurisdictional Principal Commissioner/Commissioner, and be routed through the Board's designated nodal point.

Electronic office adoption requires migration to e-Office, electronic file creation, and prohibits physical files without concurrence.
Adoption of the e-Office application is mandatory for the Commissionerate: new files must be opened electronically, legacy files must be migrated on priority, and physical files shall not be opened without the undersigned's concurrence. Training materials and learning resources are available on the application portal and NIC links, and the Central Secretariat Manual on e-Office Procedure is recommended for guidance. Difficulties in implementation should be reported to the undersigned.

Interest recovery on net cash tax liability directed for uniform GST implementation within the existing legal framework.
Administrative instructions were issued for recovery of interest on net cash tax liability with effect from 01.07.2017, to be implemented in the true spirit of the GST Council decision and within the existing legal framework. Officers were directed to follow the instructions contained in the Department of Revenue, GST Policy Wing letter dated 18 September 2020 for uniform implementation of the GST Act.

e-Office adoption fosters paperless government communications, requiring searchable PDF submissions and contact details for electronic acknowledgement.
e-Office implementation in the Principal Commissioner of Customs, Visakhapatnam establishes a paperless platform to conduct departmental work electronically, aiming to increase efficiency, transparency, accountability and data security. Taxpayers are requested to submit electronic communications as searchable PDFs and to include mobile numbers and email addresses to receive immediate acknowledgements and a Diary Number for future reference.

Segregated portfolio trigger date set as restructuring proposal; immediate reporting obligations and temporary applicability until year-end.
The date an AMC receives a proposal for debt restructuring shall be treated as the trigger date for creation of a segregated portfolio; AMCs must immediately report such proposals to Valuation Agencies, Credit Rating Agencies, Debenture Trustees and AMFI, which will disseminate the information to members; other provisions of prior SEBI circulars on segregation and the Prudential Framework remain applicable; the modification is effective immediately for a temporary period and issued under Section 11(1) of the SEBI Act read with Regulation 77.

Margin pledge disclosures dispensed for securities pledged with brokers as collateral, simplifying reporting for ordinary margin arrangements.
SEBI dispensed with the requirement under the Takeover disclosure regime to treat shares encumbered with Trading Members or Clearing Members as acquisitions/disposals for disclosure where such securities are accepted as collateral for margin obligations by way of a margin pledge created in the depository system, aligning with prior guidance that collateral be accepted only via depository-based margin pledges and intended to simplify ordinary course stockbroking collateral practices.

Digital Office Implementation: e-Office launched; taxpayers should submit searchable PDF communications with contact details for electronic acknowledgement.
The Airport & ACC Commissionerate has launched the e-Office application to create a paperless, secure and transparent processing environment; stakeholders are directed to submit communications electronically in searchable PDF format, include mobile and email contact details to receive immediate acknowledgement and a Diary Number for reference, and trade bodies are asked to circulate the notice and report any difficulties or suggestions.

Revisional Authority authorisation under GST expands jurisdiction-specific revision powers for designated tax officers immediately.
Officers of the Commercial Taxes administration are authorised to act as Revisional Authority under the West Bengal Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 for the jurisdictions specified in the table. The authorisation covers revision of orders or decisions passed by subordinate officers within the stated jurisdictional areas and also orders passed by other State Tax authorities relating to persons or registered taxable persons within those jurisdictions. The order modifies earlier revision authorisations and takes immediate effect, while preserving actions already initiated under previous authorisation.

Transparency in debt and money market transactions: require daily, downloadable disclosures with a shortened public time lag.
Mutual funds, AMCs, trustees and boards of trustees must disclose daily details of debt and money market securities transactions, including inter-scheme transfers, in the revised Annexure A format with a 15-day time lag. Disclosures must be comparable, downloadable as a spreadsheet and machine readable. The requirement takes effect October 1, 2020, and is issued under the regulator's powers to protect investor interests and regulate the securities market.

Re-validation policy for SCOMET technology exports: one-time six-month extension for qualifying expiring authorizations; future validity fixed.
Revalidation for SCOMET export authorizations was previously permitted in six month increments up to twelve months, with leftover export obligation as a ground. Export obligations for technology/software transfers cannot be quantified in item or value terms; therefore revalidation for such authorizations is not to be considered. As a one time relief, a single six month extension will be granted for SCOMET technology transfer authorizations expiring by 30.09.2020 upon prescribed application to DGFT(Hqrs). Going forward, validity for technology/software transfer authorizations shall be twenty four months or as per Para 2.16 of HBP FTP 2015 20, with no further revalidation.

Export controls on N-95/FFP2 masks: limited quota with online manufacturer licences requiring strict documentary proof.
DGFT restricts export of N-95/FFP2 masks to a limited allocation and mandates online applications via the DGFT ECOM system within specified dates. Only manufacturer-exporters may apply; applications are examined per the Handbook of Procedures. Licences issued have a short fixed validity. Eligibility requires documentary proof of manufacture, BIS certification for medical masks, one application per IEC, IEC copy, and purchase order/invoice, all self-attested. Incomplete or untimely submissions will be rejected.

Default recognition relief for COVID-19-related debt restructuring allows credit rating agencies to withhold default classification with disclosure.
Credit rating agencies may, if in their assessment restructuring is solely due to COVID-19-related stress or under the designated resolution framework, refrain from recognizing such restructuring as a default, provided they make appropriate disclosure in the press release; this relaxation is extended until December 31, 2020.