IGST refund process for export invoice mismatches now allows officer verification with certified concordance mapping for sanctioning refunds.
An officer-interface on Customs EDI addresses IGST refund delays caused by invoice mismatches (error SB005): exporters must submit a certified concordance table mapping GST invoices to Shipping Bill invoices; Customs officers may verify, accept, amend IGST/taxable values for short shipments or calculation errors, calculate scroll amounts after drawback adjustments, disable invoices after sanction, and ensure refunds are credited electronically via PFMS.

IGST refund officer interface enables Customs verification and reconciliation of invoice mismatches to facilitate export refund processing.
An alternative officer interface on the Customs EDI system permits verification and reconciliation of invoice mismatches (SB005) between GSTN filings and Customs shipping bills for IGST export refunds. Exporters must submit a certified concordance table mapping GST invoices to shipping bill invoices; the Customs officer verifies IGST taxable values, may adjust amounts for short shipment or calculation errors, and then accept, amend or reject entries. Upon approval the system calculates the refund scroll, disables sanctioned invoices to prevent duplicates, and refunds continue to be credited electronically.

Removal of Minimum Export Price and Letter of Credit requirements permits export of all onion varieties without MEP or LC.
The requirement of a Minimum Export Price (MEP) and the mandate to export on a Letter of Credit (LC) for all varieties of onions has been withdrawn, removing the prior price floor and LC payment condition and permitting exports without MEP or LC until further notice.

GST customs-related work jurisdiction shifts to reorganised Customs formations, handling brand rates, B-17 bonds and EOUs from 15 Jan 2018.
Effective 15.01.2018, Customs functions-including brand rate fixation, acceptance of B-17 bonds/LUT, EOU matters and duty free imports at concessional rates-for taxpayers under the Puducherry GST & Central Excise Commissionerate (including Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam) are transferred to designated reorganised Customs formations (Customs (Preventive) Commissionerates at Tiruchirappalli, Cochin and Vijayawada). GST, Central Excise and Service Tax functions remain with the existing Chennai GST & Central Excise formations; audit and appellate jurisdictions have been separately notified.

Works Contract Services revenue monitoring through contractor lists, return filing checks, and priority action against non-filers under GST.
Works Contract Services are treated as supply of services under GST and are stated to be an important source of State revenue. The circular directs officers to compile section-wise and zone-wise contractor lists, identify GSTIN, pre-GST turnover and return-filing status, and closely monitor non-filers for priority recovery of tax. It further requires collection of tender-related information from departments and implementing agencies, verification of compliance, preparation of action plans for 100% return filing and timely submission of compliance reports.

IGST refund: exporters must email invoice-to-shipping-bill concordance to the designated customs officer to support refund claims.
Alternative mechanism for IGST refund in invoice mis-match export cases requires exporters to consult the customs website for lists of affected IECs and shipping bills, complete the prescribed concordance table mapping GST invoices to shipping bill invoices, and e-mail that table to the designated Deputy Commissioner of Customs (Drawback) at the specified e-mail address to support refund claims; physical attendance at the customs house is not required and a contact point is provided for difficulties.

Position limits in exchange-traded INR currency derivatives consolidated into a single limit without underlying exposure; breaches reportable.
RBI permits residents and Foreign Portfolio Investors to take long or short positions in exchange-traded INR currency derivatives without establishing underlying exposure up to a single consolidated limit of USD 100 million equivalent across all INR currency pairs and across all exchanges. Participants bear responsibility for compliance; exchanges will monitor limits and report breaches to the Reserve Bank. Other operational guidelines remain unchanged and the circular is issued under provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.

Proportionate release of securities for provisional mega power projects allowed per proportional mega power certificate, subject to departmental implementation.
Authorisation for proportional release of Fixed Deposit Receipts or Bank Guarantees held as security for provisional mega power projects where a Mega Power Certificate (Proportional) has been issued by the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Power; jurisdictional Deputy Commissioners or Assistant Commissioners of Central Excise are directed to release such securities in proportion to the certificate and field formations must take action to implement this directive.

IGST refund invoice mismatch: officer interface permits verification and rectification to enable electronic sanction of refunds.
An officer interface on the Customs EDI system allows a designated Customs officer to verify and reconcile GSTN invoice data with Shipping Bill entries for cases flagged SB005. Exporters must submit a certified concordance table mapping GST invoices to Shipping Bill invoices (also by scanned e mail). The officer may verify IGST taxable value and amount, edit IGST details for short shipment or calculation errors, accept/amend/reject invoices, and the system will compute scroll amounts net of drawback. Sanctioned refunds are credited electronically through PFMS and invoices disabled to prevent duplicate claims.

Transit bond requirement enables movement of Nepal bound containers to CONCOR MMLP CFS pending rail dispatch to Birgunj.
Movement of Nepal bound containers to CONCOR MMLP CFS for rail dispatch to ICD Birgunj requires a transit bond approved and managed by the ITP Cell (debited on movement and re credited on proof of receipt). Nepal containers must be segregated at the MMLP CFS. ITP Cell will verify import documents and issue ICCD/TP for containers at the CFS. CONCOR must submit fortnightly transit reconciliation statements to the ITP Cell. The procedure is a trade facilitation measure and other terms of the existing public notice remain unchanged.

Mandatory digital upload of supporting documents required, originals must be produced for verification and debiting.
The notice mandates digital upload of all supporting documents listed in the prior communication for specified bills of entry at the designated export ICD, including authorizations, scrips and transfer letters where applicable, following the prescribed upload procedure. It also requires production of original documents for verification during physical examination and presentation of original scrips and licences for debiting before release of the imported goods; implementation difficulties are to be reported to the issuing office.

IGST refund officer interface allows verification and sanction of refunds in invoice-mismatch export cases, subject to exporter concordance evidence.
An officer-interface alternative allows Customs officers to verify and reconcile invoice mismatches between GSTN records and Customs shipping bills for export IGST refund cases. Exporters must submit a certified concordance table mapping GST invoices to Shipping Bill invoices; the officer may accept, amend or reject entries, edit IGST amounts for short shipments, and enter the approved refund amount into Customs EDI. Refunds are calculated net of drawback, disabled for duplicated invoices once sanctioned, and paid electronically through PFMS. The mechanism applies only to shipping bills filed up to 31 December 2017 and only for cases flagged with the specified error code.

Courier export clearance automation through ECCS enables electronic shipping bills, risk-based examination, manifest processing and controlled shipment amendments.
ECCS introduces phased automation of courier export clearance through electronic filing of CSBs and CEMs, controlled stakeholder access, arrival scanning, X-ray screening, examination and grant of Let Export Order. Export goods require prescribed packaging, categorisation and sender declarations. CSB-III applies to qualifying documents and CSB-IV to specified eligible goods. Suspicious consignments may be examined, detained or queried through the system. Flight amendments require Superintendent approval, while back-to-town requests require Assistant or Deputy Commissioner approval. Initial pilot deployment covers CSB-III exports on selected flights.

Custodian appointment for high value cargo imposes statutory custody, storage and duty liability obligations under customs regulations.
M/s Bharat Diamond Bourse is appointed as the Custom Cargo Service Provider for specified high value import and export consignments at ACC Sahar under Section 45(1), Section 141(2) of the Customs Act, 1962 and Regulation 10 of HCCAR 2009; the custodian must comply with the Customs Act and HCCAR 2009, store goods in the designated strong room (50.62 sq. metres) at the Export Shed, and is liable to pay customs duty on pilfered or unaccounted imported goods under Section 45(3).

Confidentiality obligations require insolvency professionals to restrict information sharing unless consent or legal requirement permits.
Insolvency professionals must keep all information related to insolvency processes confidential and not disclose or provide access to unauthorized persons. Resolution applicants may be given access to relevant information only if they undertake to comply with confidentiality and insider trading laws, to protect any intellectual property of the corporate debtor, and not to share the information with third parties unless those conditions are met.

Transitional tax credit restrictions prevent utilisation of disputed or blocked legacy credits and require recovery for improper use.
Transitional Value Added Tax and Entry Tax credit is unavailable for utilisation where the latest operative adjudication or appellate order under the earlier regime had held that credit inadmissible. Such disputed credit, even if reflected in the electronic credit ledger, remains unavailable while the adverse order operates, and its utilisation attracts recovery, interest and penalty. Blocked credit ineligible under input tax credit restrictions cannot be transitioned or utilised; improper transition similarly attracts recovery, interest and penalty. An undertaking is required for disputed or blocked credit exceeding the prescribed threshold.

Non-transition of CENVAT credit prohibits use of inadmissible or blocked transitional credits and mandates recovery with interest and penalty.
Registered persons must not utilize in the electronic credit ledger any CENVAT credit adjudicated as inadmissible ("disputed credit") or amounts ineligible under the Act ("blocked credit"); unauthorized utilization will be recovered with interest and penalty. If such transitional credit exceeds the prescribed threshold, taxpayers must furnish an undertaking to the jurisdictional Central Government officer that the credit has not been and will not be utilized.

Paperless processing under SWIFT mandated for specified appraising groups; importers must upload digitally signed supporting documents for bills of entry.
Paperless processing under SWIFT requires importers and customs brokers to upload digitally signed supporting documents for bills of entry via e SANCHIT; this is mandatory for bills of entry in specified Appraising Groups while remaining voluntary for others, stakeholders must report implementation feedback to designated EDI and Appraising Main officials and treat the directive as a standing order for officers and staff.

Discontinuation of EP copy requirement: hard copy not required for EDI shipments; self certified exporter copy optional.
No hard copy of Shipping Bill(s) shall be required to be filed for export obligation discharge for shipments from Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) ports when applying under ANF 4F or ANF 4G; applicants have the option to submit a self certified Exporter Copy of the Shipping Bill in original.

IGST refund validation: exporters must ensure matching GST returns and shipping bills to obtain refunds.
Refunds of IGST on exports require that the shipping bill, the export general manifest (EGM) and a valid GST return be filed; the shipping bill is deemed an application under Rule 96. Customs' IGST refund module automatically matches GSTN return data with shipping bill data in ICES at invoice level; successful matches (SB000) permit inclusion in the refund scroll. Mismatches yield codes SB001-SB006 (invalid SB details, EGM not filed, GSTIN mismatch, duplicate record, invalid invoice number, gateway EGM unavailable) and must be remedied by amending GSTR 1 via Form 9A, having carriers file/correct EGMs, contacting GSTN helpdesk, or validating PFMS bank details.