Presenting the General Budget 2011-12 here today, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister said that to quicken the clearance of the cargo by Customs authorities and further modernize the customs administration, it has been proposed to introduce self-assessment in Customs. Under this scheme, the importers and exporters will themselves asses their duty liabilities while filing their declarations in the EDI system. The department will verify such assessments on a selective system driven basis.

The Finance Minister Shri Mukherjee said that a new scheme has also been proposed under which SEZs will be able to obtain tax-free receipt of services wholly consumed within the zone and get their refunds in a much easier manner.

It has also been proposed to extend the mega cluster scheme for development of leather products. Seven mega leather clusters have been proposed to be set up during 2011-12. Jodhpur has been proposed to be included for the development of a Handicraft Mega Cluster.

Customs self-assessment introduced allowing importers and exporters to declare duties with system-driven verification and SEZ service relief simplified. Introduction of Customs self-assessment permitting importers and exporters to self-declare duty liabilities via the EDI system, subject to selective system-driven verification by customs; proposals also include tax-free receipt of services within SEZs with simplified refund procedures, and expansion of the mega cluster programme to leather products and inclusion of Jodhpur for a Handicraft Mega Cluster.