Simplification of shipping customs procedures: reduced hardcopy demands and streamlined transhipment permissions to speed clearance.
The Board limits physical Import General Manifest submissions to two hard copies where electronic IGM exists, requires only one hard copy of the Sub Manifest Transhipment Permit except for amendment needs, allows steamer agents to use a continuity bond (and merge guarantees) to replace repeated bonds, and removes the need for separate permission upon change of transport mode for transhipment provided the carrier intimates the change and the bond covers both modes.

Suo moto payment of customs duty allows exporters to prepay self calculated duty and interest pending authoritative reconciliation.
Facility allows Advance/EPCG authorisation holders with acknowledged regularisation applications to make suo moto payment by depositing self calculated duty and interest in cash at the designated bank or by presenting eligible duty credit scrip for debit, with paid challans submitted to Customs. Upon RA's detailed computation, Customs will reconcile actual duty and interest against amounts already deposited/debited, require payment of any balance, and on receipt of the RA's redemption letter will reconcile and initiate release of the bond or bank guarantee.

Track and Trace system mandates standardized barcodes and central data upload for exported pharmaceutical packaging to ensure traceability.
Manufacturers exporting pharmaceutical formulations must apply standardized barcodes at secondary and tertiary packaging and maintain parent-child packaging data, uploading prescribed data to a central government portal prior to release. Primary packs require human-readable GTIN, batch, expiry and serial information with barcode labelling initially exempted. Manufacturers or designated agencies are responsible for accuracy, completeness and timely upload. Transitional exemptions apply for consignments manufactured before the implementation date, and importing-country barcode mandates are permissible with licensing permission but do not negate domestic tertiary barcode requirements.

Services exports eligibility under SEIS links specified CPC-coded services to prescribed reward rates and policy conditions.
Notification under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy establishes the Schedule (Appendix 3D) for the Services Exports from India Scheme (SEIS), specifying eligible services, Central Product Classification codes and admissible reward rates as percentages of net foreign exchange earnings for services rendered from April 1, 2015; the list and rates apply through 30 September 2015 subject to review. Rewards are subject to conditions in the Foreign Trade Policy and Handbook of Procedures; educational services exclude capitation fees and certain maritime rewards are limited to operations from India by Indian-flag carriers.

Merchandise Exports from India Scheme: Appendix 3B notifies country groups and HS code wise MEIS reward rates effective April 1, 2015.
Notification under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020 notifies Appendix 3B to implement the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), effective April 1, 2015. Appendix 3B contains Table 1 (Country Groups A, B, C, with a residual rule treating unlisted countries as Group C) and Table 2 (ITC(HS) code wise product descriptions with MEIS reward rates for each country group), establishing the operative destination classifications and HS code reward percentages for exporter entitlement.

Notification of Handbook of Procedures: FTP Handbook, Appendices and Aayat Niryat Forms notified, effective from 1 April 2015.
The Handbook of Procedures (Volume 1), its Appendices and the Aayat Niryat Forms are formally notified under paragraph 1.03 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020 and are brought into legal effect from 1 April 2015 as the procedural framework governing export-import operations under that Policy.

E-payment deadline extension allows taxpayers to complete electronic government payments through extended banking and online hours.
The notice implements an e-payment deadline extension and adjusted banking hours for government receipts: agency bank branches conducting government business were directed to remain open for an extended full business day and to extend counter services into the evening on the final business date, while electronic payment systems were ordered to remain available until the close of that final calendar day, permitting taxpayers to submit electronic government payments up to that electronic cut-off.

Taxpayer service centre setup: CCITs to propose five ASK sites, determine node needs and submit budgeted proposals promptly.
Directs Principal CCITs to recommend five buildings for setting up Aayakar Sewa Kendras during 2015-16, prioritising government owned or long term rented premises and convening a Local Implementation Committee. CCITs must determine required service nodes per building using annexed yardsticks tied to DAK and paper returns workload (single ITO stations get one node, plus a "May I Help You" node) and submit node requirements with budget estimates based on the annexure's cost norms within the timeline specified in the letter.

IFSC entities treated as non residents under FEMA, making their transactions with Indian residents subject to FEMA rules.
IFSC financial institutions and branches recognised under the IFSC framework are treated as persons resident outside India, making their dealings with Indian residents subject to FEMA, 1999 and related Rules and Regulations. "Financial transaction" covers payments, bills, securities transfers and debt acknowledgements; "financial service" covers activities permitted under the institution's governing statute or regulator. The 2015 IFSC Regulations create a specific regime: other FEMA Regulations apply to IFSC entities only where expressly provided. AD Category I banks must inform constituents; the direction is issued under section 47 of FEMA, 1999 without prejudice to other statutory approvals.

Position limits for FPIs expanded in ETCD markets, allowing larger USD INR and other currency exposures under exchange monitoring.
Revision increases permitted open positions for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) in the Exchange Traded Currency Derivatives (ETCD) market: FPIs may take both long and short positions in USD INR up to an increased per exchange limit and combined positions in EUR INR, GBP INR and JPY INR up to an aggregate per exchange limit; exchanges shall monitor limits and report breaches, and may prescribe fixed per contract limits for non USD pairs.

ETCD participation limits expanded, documentation eased and importer hedging entitlement aligned with exporters.
Guidelines expand ETCD participation by raising position limits for USD INR and authorising combined positions in EUR INR, GBP INR and JPY INR, require exchanges to monitor breaches, permit statutory auditor certificates to be replaced by signed undertakings from the CFO and Company Secretary (or CEO/COO if no CS), and allow importers to hedge contracted exposures up to their full eligible limit, with other operational conditions unchanged.

Reconciliation return filing: Form nine permitted for dealers with interstate sales against statutory concessional forms, compliance required.
The Commissioner permits filing of the reconciliation return in Form nine for 2013 14 up to the extended date; this applies only to dealers who made interstate sales at concessional rates against statutory forms C, stock transfers against F forms, sales against H forms to non Delhi dealers, or claimed deductions using E I/E II or I/J forms, while dealers without such transactions are not required to file.

Digital Signature Certificate usage in customs filings enhances document integrity and enables electronic submission without physical signatures.
Digital Signature Certificate use is authorized for electronic submission of Bills of Entry, Shipping Bills, IGMs, EGMs and CGMs via Remote EDI System to ensure integrity and non-repudiation; the facility is optional generally but mandatory for Accredited Client Programme importers for Bills of Entry. A web-based Common Signer on ICEGATE and Class III certificates from notified Certifying Authorities are required; ICEGATE will verify certificate validity, public key and CRL status and flag signed submissions in the ICES database, enabling customs officers to identify digitally signed filings and reducing the need for physical signatures and hard copies.

Online message exchange enables electronic BE transmission and receipt of Release Orders, blocking clearance until agency RO received.
Implementation of an online message exchange requires ICES to transmit Bills of Entry to FSSAI and PQIS and to receive electronic Release Orders before permitting Out of Charge; six RO types are specified, routine Customs formalities continue during processing, consignments repeatedly found in order may be exempted from referral, and electronic ROs will be accepted in lieu of physical copies.

Authorization of additional banks for e-payment collection of customs duty expands e-collection and prescribes settlement and compliance steps.
Nine additional public sector banks are authorized to collect customs duty by e-payment; designated e-FPB branches will receive e-receipts from EDI locations, transmit daily electronic EASeR-C format scrolls/challans to e-PAO, Customs, New Delhi, and settle funds with RBI via CAS Nagpur. Banks will also supply physical scrolls/challans as an interim measure, must follow the revised Memorandum of Instruction and RBI guidelines on collection and remittance (including interest on delayed remittance), and must include the e-FPB BSR Code on challans and the e-PAO Code on e-scrolls.

Deposit classification: pre-April 2014 receipts by private companies not treated as deposits if disclosed in financial notes.
Amounts received by private companies from members, directors or their relatives before 1 April 2014 shall not be treated as deposits under the Companies Act, 2013 provided the private company discloses in the notes to its financial statements for the year commencing on or after 1 April 2014 the figure of such amounts and the accounting head in which they are shown; any renewal or fresh deposits on or after 1 April 2014 must comply with the Companies Act, 2013 and related rules.

Digital signature on invoices: procedures require class 2/3 certificates, pre intimation, electronic verification and record production on request.
The Board requires assessees using digital signatures to employ class 2 or class 3 certificates from licensed Indian Certifying Authorities and to intimate authorised signatory details to the jurisdictional Deputy/Assistant Commissioner at least fifteen days in advance. Separate electronic records must be maintained per factory; specified electronic records and digitally signed invoices must be produced upon request by email or on a readable storage device. Central Excise officers may require printouts, verify authenticity electronically, and may resume documents under Section 14 after verification. Assessees must maintain appropriate backups. A verification procedure using PDF validation pop ups, signature status, modification history and the signer's certificate is prescribed.

Line of Credit for project exports mandates majority India sourcing and time-limited LC/disbursement windows under FEMA directions.
Exim Bank's Line of Credit to Banco Exterior de Cuba finances a fertilizer plant with a requirement that at least 75% of contract value for goods and services be sourced from India and up to 25% may be procured abroad. The Credit Agreement is effective from February 2015 and prescribes LC/disbursement deadlines: 48 months from scheduled completion for project exports and 72 months from agreement execution for supply contracts. Shipments must be declared on EDF/SDF forms. No agency commission is payable under the LOC, though exporters may remit commission from own funds or EEFC balances after realisation, subject to existing rules; AD Category-I banks must notify exporters and may seek details from Exim Bank. Directions are issued under FEMA.

Import restriction on second-hand tyres: imports for direct reuse are prohibited and regulated as hazardous waste.
Importation of second-hand pneumatic tyres for direct reuse is not permitted; such tyres that do not enable resource recovery or recycling are regulated under Schedule III B of the Hazardous Waste Rules, and import/export requires application to the Ministry of Environment & Forests. The Technical Review Committee noted adequate domestic manufacturing capacity, the general requirement of BIS certification (except OEM-authorized dealer imports), and the absence of a simple test for road safety or residual tyre life for customs use.

Extension of e-payment deadline allows taxpayers to complete electronic payments until the midnight cutoff while banks extend counter hours.
The circular implements an operational extension: electronic transactions for government receipts are permitted until midnight on the final date and assessees may make e-payments up to that midnight cutoff; agency banks must keep designated branch counters handling government business open for the full day on the preceding date and until 8:00 p.m. on the penultimate date. Tax authorities are requested to issue trade notices to publicize the extended e-payment and banking hours.