Advance Authorization debit procedure now electronic-only, manual debits discontinued to expedite clearance and support trade facilitation.
Advance Authorizations will be debited exclusively through the EDI system and manual debit by Group Appraisers is discontinued to avoid duplication and reduce clearance delays; importers facing difficulties should notify the Additional Commissioner (Gr.VII D), NS IV.

Car pass system for cross border cargo movement ensures authorised single entry/exit and structured customs clearance procedures.
Standardised SOP prescribes time bound movement and clearance of cargo trucks between India and Bangladesh via ICP Petrapole, using a Car Pass System for single entry/exit authorisations, electronic filing of Import General Manifests and Bills of Export through the Customs EDI system, unloading and transhipment in CWC warehouses (including cold storage for perishables), and operation of a Risk Management System to expedite consignments deemed compliant, with quarantine, examination, appraisal and supervisory clearance procedures integrated into customs processing.

No routine hand delivery of documents: use electronic portal for status; postal delays addressed with local Speed Post providers.
No routine hand delivery of documents will be made except in urgent cases; applicants must use the e.com portal and their digital key to view generated deficiency and rejection letters rather than rely on physical collection. Local Speed Post should normally deliver next day and the office will engage postal authorities if delays persist. Online filing difficulties in Pune may be due to local internet congestion rather than central server faults; trade bodies should coordinate with Internet Service Providers and seek regulator assistance if needed.

Direct electronic payment of sanctioned rebate/refund amounts to assessee/exporter bank accounts via RTGS/NEFT.
The Bangalore V Central Excise Commissionerate introduced a facility effective 10.02.2016 for payment of sanctioned rebate/refund amounts directly to assessee/exporter bank accounts via RTGS/NEFT. Fresh claims require a one-time bank-certified authorization in duplicate and a cancelled cheque (Annexure A); pending claims must submit authorizations by 10.02.2016. Refund authorities will forward a signed beneficiary list (Annexure B), a consolidated cheque to the designated bank, original authorizations and a soft copy; the bank will credit individual accounts after deducting applicable NEFT/RTGS charges per RBI guidelines.

Inbound FATCA data handling centralises receipt, prioritisation and dissemination of actionable cases for tax verification and enforcement.
The DIT (I & CI), New Delhi is the Nodal Officer for inbound FATCA/CRS data: receive data from the Competent Authority, prioritise into quantum slabs, segregate high risk cases, populate PANs using internal systems, requisition ROI for bulk matching, identify mismatches (non filing, missing/incomplete Schedule FA, nondisclosure or understatement), segregate actionable cases and disseminate them to jurisdictional DsIT (I & CI) on password protected media, transmit deficient data back to the Competent Authority, act as repository for non actionable cases, and collate utilisation reports for CBDT.

Address selection for non-filer notices updated to use addresses from tax returns and Annual Information Return.
The AIMS module for NMS cases now permits system-generated letters to use addresses recorded in the Return of Income and the Annual Information Return in addition to the PAN database address, and field formations are to be informed of this change so correspondence to non-filers can utilize these additional address sources.

Minimum Import Price requirement restricts iron and steel imports below the prescribed unit value and mandates LC registration.
Imports of iron and steel on or after 5 February 2016 must have a unit CIF/landed value equal to or above the specified Minimum Import Price; consignments below that value are restricted and cannot be cleared by paying duty on the MIP. Shipment date governs applicability, exemptions apply only to letters of credit entered before the Notification subject to Para 1.05(b) of the Foreign Trade Policy, and irrevocable letters of credit must be registered with the jurisdictional Regional Authority within 15 days.

Payment realisation from SEZ Foreign Currency Account - FCA-only requirement applies to newer FTP; earlier licences may allow INR realisation.
Closure and redemption of Advance Authorisation and DFIA licences where supplies to SEZ units resulted in payment realised in Indian Rupees may be allowed if the transaction conforms to the provisions of FTP 2009-14, since that regime did not require payment from the SEZ unit's Foreign Currency Account; licences issued under the subsequent FTP remain subject to the FCA realisation requirement for discharge of export obligation.

Electronic refund payment via RTGS/NEFT introduced to remit sanctioned refunds directly to beneficiaries' bank accounts with reconciliation.
Electronic payment of sanctioned refund claims via RTGS/NEFT through SBI Kandla replaces manual cheque dispatch. Claimants must submit a one-time bank-certified authorization; the sanctioning authority sends a signed statement of sanctioned orders, a consolidated cheque, and a soft copy to the bank. The bank credits individual accounts after deducting applicable NEFT/RTGS charges. Reconciliation uses bank-generated UTRs and periodic scrolls; UTR reports and cheque details are forwarded to the PAO monthly for reconciliation and discrepancy reporting.

In limine dismissal of special leave petitions - guidance on filing review petitions and administrative handling procedures.
Instruction addressing the effect of in limine dismissal of Special Leave Petitions and the procedural position on filing a review petition, communicated to Principal Chief Commissioners, Chief Commissioners and Director Generals in customs, central excise and service tax administrations as internal administrative guidance for uniform handling and compliance.

Newsprint Control amendment adds a new mill to the Schedule, expanding permitted mills and effective on publication.
The Central Government, under section 18G of the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, amends the Newsprint Control Order, 2004 by inserting a new serial entry in the Schedule (item 4) adding M/s. Sripathi Paper & Boards Pvt. Ltd., Unit I, Anaikuttam Post, Sivakasi, Virudhvnagar, Tamil Nadu. The Newsprint Control (Amendment) Order, 2016 is effective on publication in the Official Gazette and expands the Schedule of permitted mills without modifying other terms of the principal order.

Grievance redressal tightened: officials must ensure timely responses and escalate repeat-complaint locations for vigilance referral.
The Board directs strict monitoring of CPGRAMS grievance redressal, enforcing remedial timelines with interim replies when resolution is delayed, identification and verification of officers/locations with repeat complaints for referral to D.G. Vigilance, mandatory periodic review of grievances by senior officials to assess quality of disposal, and enhanced use of technology including Airport CCTV and continuous customs clearance to improve transparency and facilitation.

Duty Drawback AIR revised, with new tariff entries and adjusted caps altering coverage and rates under the notification.
Amendments to the All Industry Rates (AIR) of Duty Drawback, effective 11 February 2016 under Notification No. 22/2016 Customs (N.T.), revise tariff coverage, create separate tariff entries with AIRs and caps for specified product varieties and blends, restructure sub headings to distinguish drawback caps, expand item descriptions to include additional products, increase rates/caps for selected tariff lines, provide composite AIRs for all footwear under headings 6401 and 6402, and mandate issuance of public notices and reporting of implementation difficulties to the Board.

Related party valuation procedures: streamlined SVB referrals, provisional assessment without routine deposits, and investigation reports to finalise values.
Establishes a streamlined framework for SVB investigations: SVBs function under jurisdictional Commissioners with DGoV advisory support; importers file an initial questionnaire to enable a prompt commissioner decision on referral; provisional assessments are to be made without routine extra duty deposits where importers comply, while failure to provide documents within prescribed intervals attracts a limited security deposit or bank guarantee; SVBs submit non appealable Investigation Reports to the referring formation quantifying any influence on declared transaction value, after which provisional assessments are finalised or show cause proceedings initiated; monitoring via a central registry is required.

Renewal of SVB orders: one-time importer declaration enables streamlined renewal and halts Extra Duty Deposit collection.
Importers with pending SVB order renewals must submit prescribed one time declarations; Annexure 1 declarations (no change in sale circumstances, contracts, related suppliers, royalty/license payments or post import adjustments) dispense with renewal and require SVBs to direct Customs formations to stop obtaining Extra Duty Deposit and finalize provisional assessments. Annexure 2 declarations, or any asserted changes, trigger SVB inquiries under the procedures and questionnaires of Circular 5/2016, with EDD arrangements reviewed per that circular. Commissioners must review pending EDD cases, use statutory powers to obtain documents where necessary, and implement action plans to reduce pendency within prescribed timelines.

Single Window integration expands customs NOC and lab referral processes, enabling online agency clearances and sample testing.
Extension of the Single Window enables electronic routing of Bills of Entry to participating agencies which will record online decisions including No Objection Certificate, Out of Scope, Reject, Withhold or Provisional NOC; Customs will act on these electronic entries and grant Out of Charge only after all items receive Release/Out of Scope/Provisional NOC. Importers/brokers must produce hard copies of required documents to agencies for verification; agencies will capture decisions and, where applicable, bond or guarantee references. The Lab Module allows online Test Memos, sample transmission, and recording of laboratory results, though fee payment and some documents remain as per existing practice.

E-payment of refunds via RTGS/NEFT: sanctioned rebate amounts remitted directly to beneficiaries' accounts, net of bank charges.
Electronic payment of sanctioned refund/rebate amounts will be effected via RTGS/NEFT through a designated bank; fresh claims received on or after 10.02.2016 require a one-time bank-certified authorization (Annexure-A). The Assistant/Deputy Commissioner (Refunds) must submit a signed statement and soft copy (Annexure-B) plus a consolidated cheque weekly; the bank will verify details and remit net amounts to beneficiaries after deducting applicable NEFT/RTGS charges per RBI guidelines. Pending claims as on 09.02.2016 will be processed similarly upon receipt of required authorization.

Exchange of Information requests must be submitted early to allow review and correction before international transmission.
The circular directs Principal Chief Commissioners and Director Generals to ensure all Exchange of Information (EOI) requests that would time bar on 31.03.2016 are sent to the FT & TR Division by 29 February 2016 so deficiencies can be removed and corrected EOI proformas forwarded in time to the foreign competent authority.

E-payment of refund/rebate requires bank certified authorization and direct NEFT/RTGS credits with UTR reconciliation.
System requires one time bank certified authorisation and cancelled cheque for e payment of sanctioned refund/rebate; sanctioning authorities must forward periodic signed statements (Annexure B), a consolidated cheque and soft copy to the authorised bank, which will credit beneficiaries via NEFT/RTGS, generate UTRs, and provide periodic scrolls; PAO receives monthly UTR reports for reconciliation and must reconcile cheques with the bank scroll reporting discrepancies to field formations.

Waiver of bond and bank guarantee for IATA-registered airline and console agents permits EDI import manifest filing without guarantees.
Airline Agents, Console Agents and entities registered with IATA and with customs are exempted from submitting the bond and bank guarantee when registering in the ICEGATE EDI module to file import manifests on behalf of airlines or console agents; other entities must follow the registration and security procedures set out in the earlier public notice governing EDI registration and manifest filings.