EDI Help Desk established to assist exporters with EDI issues, providing email, phone and in person support and email responses.
Establishes an EDI Help Desk at the Zonal JT. DGFT (CLA), New Delhi to assist exporters with EDI issues; designates staff and in person visiting hours; provides a dedicated helpdesk email and phone number as primary channels; requires that telephonic complaints also be sent by email; and states that responses and issue resolution will be communicated to exporters by email as soon as possible.

Authority competent definition expanded to include professionals issuing completion certificates for service tax purposes.
The Order provides that, for purposes of specified sub-clauses of section 65 of the Finance Act, the expression authority competent includes, besides any government authority, an architect registered with the Council of Architecture, a chartered engineer registered with the Institution of Engineers (India), or a licensed surveyor of the respective local body or development/planning authority, who is authorised under law to issue a completion certificate for residential, commercial or industrial complexes as a precondition for occupation.

VAT return filing: May returns may be submitted without applying recent amendments; annexures and closing stock ITC deferred.
Amendments to Sections 9(1), 9(2)(g), 10(5) and DVAT 16 are under consideration; May returns are to be filed without applying those amendments. Dealers should not calculate or carry forward ITC on closing stock and may omit Annexure 2A and 2B from current filings; hard copies and revised returns may be submitted later if the amendments are effected. The measure follows consultation with the Finance Department and is issued with the Commissioner (T&T)'s approval.

Valuation of debt and money market instruments: effective implementation deferred, early voluntary adoption permitted by regulator
SEBI postpones the operative date for the prescribed valuation methodology for debt and money market instruments and permits mutual funds and related entities to voluntarily implement the valuation approach prior to the revised effective date; the circular invokes SEBI's regulatory powers to ensure investor protection and market regulation compliance.

Administrative control shift to Central Excise for EOUs/EHTP/STP - units must approach Central Excise for compliance and records.
Administrative control of EOUs, EHTP and STP registered with the Export Promotion Commissionerate, Mumbai is transferred from Customs to jurisdictional Central Excise formations to align with ACES automation and facilitate GST transition; records will be handed over to Central Excise and affected units must approach their jurisdictional Central Excise authorities for all administrative and compliance matters.

Tariff valuation for readymade garments now based on retail sale price, determining CVD assessment on imported packaged apparel.
CVD on imports of readymade garments packed for retail sale is to be levied on the basis of their retail sale price/maximum retail price because a statutory deeming provision applies where the Government has fixed a tariff value for such articles, and the Government has fixed a tariff value for packaged apparel for retail sale accordingly.

Electronic processing of shipping bills via centralized ICES 1.5 enables online filing, automated assessment, and streamlined export clearance.
Implementation of centralized ICES 1.5 enables electronic filing and automated processing of export Shipping Bills at ACC Cochin, subject to pre filing requirements (IE Code, CHA/carrier registration, bank account details, prescribed code usage) and initial limitation to duty free white Shipping Bills and EGMs. Service centres and Remote EDI (ICEGATE) handle data entry, checklist reconciliation and submission; Appraiser/Superintendent and AC/DC perform assessment and examination workflows culminating in a system generated Let Export order that triggers printing of Shipping Bills and scheme specific processing for Drawback, DEPB and EPCG/DES, including bank registration and foreign exchange realization monitoring.

Transfer of SEZ units permitted in principle but requires prior placement of each shifting proposal before the Board of Approvals.
Requests for transfer of units from one SEZ to another are permissible in principle, but every proposal to shift a unit must be submitted to and considered by the Board of Approvals, making transfers subject to prior presentation and administrative review rather than automatic relocation.

Tax Credit Statement visibility enables taxpayers to identify and rectify missing or unmatched TDS entries before filing returns.
The circular explains that the Tax Credit Statement (Form 26AS) is compiled in near real time and is the operative source of tax credits used when processing returns. It instructs taxpayers to check Form 26AS for missing or unmatched entries and to contact deductors to correct PAN errors, non filing of TDS returns, or non deposit of TDS so that credits are complete and accurate before filing. The circular also outlines online registration, distribution of password protected statements, publicity measures, and contact points for assistance.

Electronic processing of shipping bills: centralized ICES 1.5 enables mandatory e filing, assessment and export clearance at ACC Cochin.
Centralized ICES 1.5 at Cochin enables electronic filing, processing and clearance of export shipping bills via Service Centres or Remote EDI (ICEGATE). Mandatory pre filing registrations include valid IE Codes, CHA and airline/agent registration, and exporter bank account registration for drawback credit. Filers must use prescribed scheme, currency, unit, country and port codes; provide specified annexures and original certificates at goods arrival; follow system generated checklist and present goods for examination. The EDI workflow includes assessment tiers, queries, amendments, sample procedures, "Let Export" orders and printing of shipping bill copies, with integrated drawback, DEPB and licence messaging.

Customs EDI migration centralises document numbering and electronic duty payments, requiring prior submission of pending documents before system cutover.
Deployment of ICES 1.5 at ICD Mulund shifts EDI operations to a central National Data Centre, requiring submission of all pending Service Centre entries before cutover; local document and cash queue data will not be migrated. Centralised document numbering will replace local continuous series, duty payment challans will be exchanged electronically with the Bank of India, DEPB debits will use a common central ledger for EDI locations, and certain printouts will be issued by designated customs officers instead of Service Centre operators.

Customs impersonation alert: Do not pay alleged customs clearance charges for foreign parcel; report the attempt.
The notice warns that third parties contact Indian nationals by phone, e mail and SMS alleging lottery winnings and demanding payment for customs clearance or other charges for foreign parcels, provides bank account details for remittance, and states that the Customs Department is not involved; the public is advised not to pay and may report such demands to law enforcement.

Export allocation for sugar to the EU permits shipments subject to designated agency control and equivalent import obligation.
Allocation of 10,000 metric tonnes of white sugar is authorised for export to the European Union under the Preferential Quota, with M/s Indian Sugar Exim Corporation Limited designated as the agency to execute exports. The export permission is conditional on the import of an equivalent quantity in the same sugar season. Shipments require specific EUR and GSP entries, EUR Form endorsement by Customs at the port of shipment, and GSP Certificate issuance by the Export Inspection Agency or the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Special currency basket value revised; authorised banks must apply the new rupee valuation and notify constituents.
The circular announces a further revision of the rupee value of the special currency basket, fixes the new valuation effective from the stated date, directs Authorised Dealer Category I banks to apply the revised rupee valuation and to notify their constituents, and records that the Directions are issued under the foreign exchange management statutory framework without prejudice to other legal permissions.

Filing of SLPs: centralised monitoring and strict submission procedures to ensure timely appeals and compliance with interim directions.
Designate an officer to monitor court pronouncements, alert officers and Standing Counsel to obtain certified copies and views, assemble complete dockets for paper-book preparation, and clearly state reasons and draft the substantial question(s) of law. Send proposals with a hard copy and an MS Word electronic copy to DGIT (L&R) observing prescribed margins within the prescribed post pronouncement period.

Customer due diligence obligations updated; intermediaries must enhance measures for PEPs and revisit CDD on suspicion.
Intermediaries must maintain an independent internal audit; periodically update all client and beneficial owner information collected under the Customer Due Diligence process; revisit CDD on suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing; not apply low-risk provisions when suspicion exists; consult FATF and other public sources for high-risk jurisdictions; adopt risk management to identify Politically Exposed Persons and apply enhanced CDD and verification of source of funds for PEPs; retain identity records for ten years from termination; and observe a broad prohibition on "tipping off" before, during and after suspicious transaction reporting.

Allocation of corporate debt investment limits to FIIs through bidding and FCFS processes with procedural caps.
Corporate debt investment limits for FIIs are allocated by a two-track mechanism: a modified competitive bidding process with per-entity caps and minimum bid and tick sizes, and an FCFS electronic allocation of residual limits subject to a lower per-entity ceiling. FCFS requests must be emailed to the designated address within the specified window and any FCFS-allocated limit must be utilized within a defined utilization period; custodians must inform their FII clients and follow the prescribed application format.

Regulatory order disclosure: Depositories must publish past and future orders and arbitration awards promptly online.
Depositories must post on their websites all regulatory orders and arbitration awards issued since April 1, 2007 within thirty days and must post immediately any such orders and awards issued after this circular; they must also publish the circular's provisions on their sites and communicate implementation status in their Monthly Development Report, under powers granted by relevant securities and depositories legislation.

SION amendment updates input-output norms for reinforced automobile tyres, specifying import-item composition and conditional allowances.
Amendment revises SION A-1667 for automobile tyres reinforced with nylon or rayon tyre-cord warp-sheet, specifying permissible import-item composition and quantities including natural rubber, specified synthetic rubbers, V.P. latices, carbon black, nylon/tyre yarn/cord/warp sheet, bead wire, rubber chemicals and miscellaneous materials, and furnace oil/LSHS. It prescribes a conditional split between synthetic rubber categories for bus/truck tyres, confirms applicability to tubeless tyres with natural rubber inner liners, and provides a rule limiting certain dipping material imports when dipped fabric is brought in, with a compensatory weight allowance.

Amendment to Foreign Trade Handbook removes 'Imports under' from sub para 4 of Para 5.1A, revising the text.
The Director General of Foreign Trade, exercising powers under the Foreign Trade Policy and the Handbook of Procedures, issues a public notice amending Para 5.1A of the Handbook of Procedures (Vol. I) by deleting the words "Imports under" from the first line of sub paragraph 4; the amendment is issued in public interest and published as a Gazette notification.