CVD (SAD) refund extension: re-credited DEPB/Reward scrips use extended; pending refund claims must be cleared.
Extension permits use of re-credited DEPB/Reward Scheme scrips for payment of CVD (SAD) refunds and continues the manual Bill of Entry facility for utilising re-credited amounts. Commissioners must dispose pending refund applications paid through DEPB/Reward scrips within a prescribed internal deadline, report progress to the Board, and may form special teams. The Board reiterates that future refunds require initial SAD payment in cash, as DGFT will not re-credit scrips when payment is by scrips, and directs issuance of public notices and standing orders.

Dealer contact registration required to enable authenticated online issuance and delivery of central declaration forms and services.
Department requires all registered dealers to register and maintain an authentic e mail address and mobile number on the departmental website (Dealer's Login/Edit Contact) to enable authentication, verification and secure online issuance and e mailing of central declaration forms and other online services.

Overseas investment liberalisation permits residents to acquire foreign qualification, service-consideration and ESOP shares within LRS limits.
Resident individuals are granted general permission to acquire foreign equity as qualification shares for directorship (subject to host-country requirements and within LRS limits), as consideration for professional services or Director's remuneration (within LRS limits), and to purchase shares under foreign ESOPs offered globally on a uniform basis irrespective of the issuing company's stake in the Indian employer, provided an Annual Return is filed through the AD Category I bank; AD banks may permit remittances and regulatory amendments will follow.

Cenvat credit utilization permitted for arrears under Section 11A but restricted for routine duty payments.
The proviso to rule 3(4) limits use of cenvat credit to the balance on the last day of the relevant month or quarter for routine duty payments under rule 8, including late payments; however, arrears determined under Section 11A are not subject to that temporal restriction and may be paid using cenvat credit accrued after the period to which the arrears relate.

Overseas direct investment liberalisation: expanded recognition of charges, bank guarantees, guarantees, and CCPS treatment.
Indian parties may seek RBI approval to create charges (pledge, mortgage, hypothecation) on their immovable, movable and other financial assets to secure overseas JV/WOS obligations within the overall financial commitment limit, subject to no-objection from Indian lenders and forthcoming reporting requirements; bank guarantees backed by counter-guarantee or collateral and personal guarantees by indirect resident promoters are to be reckoned or permitted respectively, CCPS are to be treated as equity, and financial commitment without equity may be considered under approval route with host-country compliance.

Point of Taxation rules: pre-effective-date invoices retain payment-based point; deferment for eligible small service providers applies thereafter.
The circular clarifies that the amendment to the Point of Taxation Rules allows eligible individuals and partnership firms with taxable-service turnover below the prescribed threshold to defer service tax until receipt of payment for supplies made on or after the effective date. For invoices issued on or before the day before that effective date, the earlier Rule 7 continues to govern: the point of taxation remains the date of payment. Field formations are to notify stakeholders accordingly.

Advance Authorisation documentation: checklist enforces complete prescribed documents and declarations to ensure orderly application processing.
Advance Authorisation applications must follow a prescribed checklist requiring a duly filled and signed ANF-4A with the attached declaration/undertaking, a covering letter, evidence of authorised signatory (power of attorney/board resolution), and proof of RCMC where not in the IEC. Additional documents are mandated for specific categories-SCOMET authorisations, export permissions, SSI/IEM/industrial licences for manufacturers, consent and licences for merchant exporters, and specialised licences and declarations for bulk drug and fuel imports. An information section requires fee details and identification of items covered by licences.

Budget inclusion for cost-recovery posts required to prevent shortfalls and avoid revisions in estimates during budgeting process.
The Department directs that the cost towards pay and allowances for posts sanctioned on cost recovery basis be included in the Budget Estimate so as to prevent shortfalls between approved budget and actual expenditure and to eliminate the need to seek revisions in revised estimates; this follows the guideline that developers remit such costs into the Zonal Development Commissioner account and that payments are released to concerned Development Commissioners on demand.

Customs authority power to block imports for patent infringement affirmed; enforcement via IPR Rules and notification permitted.
The core issue is whether Customs may restrict import clearance for alleged patent infringement absent a prior judicial determination. While the High Court observed that Customs should exercise caution and not restrict consignments on the sole basis of a patent or complaint, the statutory scheme under Section 11 of the Customs Act and Notification No. 51/2010-Cus(NT), read with the IPR Rules, empowers Customs to prohibit infringing imports and to act ex officio. The Board instructs field formations to treat patent infringement as actionable under the statute, use expert and registration authority assistance for determination, and defend the departmental position as necessary.

Revalidation of duty credit scrips enables utilisation of CVD re-credit without regional authority endorsement.
For the purpose of utilisation of re-credit of 4% SAD, freely transferable duty credit scrips (including DEPB) shall be deemed revalidated until 30.6.2012 without further Regional Authority endorsement where (i) endorsement by the Regional Authority was made on or before 15.9.2011 but the re-credit remained unutilised, or (ii) Customs issued a consolidated certificate (Credit Note) between 1.9.2011 and 30.4.2012, in which case the amount in that consolidated certificate shall be deemed recredited.

Port of registration rules for duty credit scrips allow pre-registration changes when issued from EDI-enabled ports.
The Notice clarifies that a Duty Credit Scrip issued with a single port of registration (the port of export) may be changed by the applicant before Customs registration subject to verification with the RA until EDI message exchange exists; use of the scrip at other ports requires obtaining TRA from the port of registration. RAs must accept change requests only if the scrip was issued against shipment from an EDI-enabled port and has not been registered with Customs.

Authorized representative requirement: submit an authenticated authority letter with photograph when filing IEC and DEPB applications.
Only an authorised individual, authorised by the application signatory, may file IEC and DEPB applications; the authorised person must submit an authority letter with photograph and contact details authenticated by the signatory as part of the application. Applications without this authority letter will not be accepted at the R&I counter. If filing is by an office issued I.Card holder, a copy of the I.Card must be enclosed. No separate authorisation is required if the signatory files the application personally.

Exports to Nepal remain eligible under DRP pre revocation and permitted irrespective of payment currency, subject to RBI compliance.
Exports cleared under DRP invoices before 1 March 2012 but exported within the prescribed period remain governed by the DRP: duty refund is to be credited to the Government of Nepal and the rebate element is not admissible to Indian exporters. Exports under rebate claims or under bond/LUT to Nepal are permitted whether payments are in Indian Rupees or foreign convertible currency, provided RBI guidelines are followed.

Pre-shipment inspection liability tightened: PSIA and importer face penalties and recognition suspension for mis-declarations on metal scrap imports.
Amendments revise recognition, certification format and liability rules for Pre shipment Inspection Agencies (PSIA) for metallic waste and scrap. Para 2.32.2A prescribes application procedure, fees, committee consideration, three year recognition with DGFT suspension/cancellation powers, and issuance of the Pre Shipment Inspection Certificate in prescribed format; existing agencies retain recognition for six months. Inserted Para 2.32.2B makes both PSIA and importer liable for mis declarations, exposing them to penalties and administrative action. Revised Appendices 5 A and 5 B set application, operational, equipment, inspector qualification and certificate content requirements.

Exemption scope: imported ores qualify for customs-duty relief under the notification; concentrates excluded as manufactured products.
The exemption under Serial Number 4 of Notification No. 4/2006 CE applies only to imported ores and not to imported concentrates. Chapter Note 4 to Chapter 26 distinguishes ores and concentrates as separate products, and concentrates are treated as manufactured products for central excise purposes; consequently, concentrates do not qualify for the additional duty exemption under Section 3 of the Customs Tariff Act even if classified under the same tariff heading as ores.

SION amendment expands export classification to include color toners and updates the required input list and quantities.
Amendment to SION A-1778 revises the export product description to include Compatible Black and Color Toners for Laser Printers & Photocopiers and prescribes seven input categories with specified quantities per 100 kg of toner, including resins, waxes, silicas/titanium dioxide, magnetite/iron oxide, carbon black, additives or dyes/pigments for black and color toners, and relevant empty cartridges and bottles (net content +1%).

Repayment to NRE accounts permitted where original loan was inward remittance and lender is eligible for NRE/FCNR(B) status.
Repayment of loans from close relatives outside India may be credited to the lender's NRE or FCNR(B) account only if the original loan to the resident was by inward remittance through normal banking channels or by debit to the lender's NRE/FCNR(B) account and the lender is eligible to open such accounts; such credit will be treated as an eligible credit to NRE/FCNR(B) accounts under Para 3(j) of Schedule 1 read with Para 5 of Schedule 2 of the Deposit Regulations.

Corporate governance committee established: nomination of ministry representative for formulation of a national corporate governance policy document.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs notifies constitution of a committee to formulate a Policy Document on Corporate Governance and designates Shri Sudhir Mittal, Additional Secretary, as the Ministry's nominee, referring to the earlier office memorandum of 7.03.2012 to continue the administrative process.

Correction to Trade Notice updates applicant name at serial 68 and directs amendment of the published applicant list.
Corrigendum rectifies the published revalidation list by replacing the misidentified entry at serial number 68 with "Ruhatiya Spinners Pvt. Ltd. (RC No.1555/22.02.2012)" and directs correction of the serial numbers in the published list to conform to the appended revised sequence of applicants and received dates.

Cluster Infrastructure Funding enables central grant support for approved mega leather clusters under SPV led implementation and project appraisal.
The Mega Leather Cluster sub scheme under the Indian Leather Development Programme supports development of cluster infrastructure-including core, special, production, HRD, R&D and export services-by providing central grant in aid covering a portion of project cost subject to maximum ceilings and minimum land area. Implementation requires an SPV company formed by leather entrepreneurs to contribute prescribed cash and land, meet promoter net worth and dispersed ownership conditions, and secure project approval; a professional PMC will be engaged for appraisal and execution, and proposals are submitted to the Department per scheme guidelines.