The “Ease of Doing Business” will be further enhanced for the Importers and Exporters by reducing/eliminating physical printouts for customs clearance. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) issued a Circular No. 55/2016- Customs dated 23rd November, 2016, wherein Importers and Exporters will henceforth not be required to submit paper documents such as GAR 7 forms / TR 6 Challans, Trans-shipment Permit (TP), Shipping Bill (Exchange Control copy and Export Promotion copy) & Bill of Entry (Exchange Control Copy) to Banks/ DGFT / Customs Ports etc.

As 95% of the importers are now paying duty through e-payment and these documents can be viewed on the ICEGATE e-payment Gateway, the need for print-out of GAR 7 Forms /TR6 Challans is not required. Similarly, Trans-shipment Permit information is sent electronically to the carrier, the transporter undertaking the transshipment, the custodian of the gateway port and the ICES system at the destination ICD or port, the requirement for submission of manual printouts of TP copy has been done away with.

The ICES generates documents such as the Shipping Bill and the Bill of Entry electronically. The CBEC provides copies of the digitally signed Shipping Bill to DGFT and also the data of Shipping Bill is integrated with the EDPMS (Export Data Processing and Monitoring System) of RBI. Therefore, printing of the Exchange Control copy and Export Promotion copy of the Shipping Bill for manual submission by the exporter is not required. Similarly, with the operationalisation of the IDPMS (Import Data Processing and Monitoring System) banks are not required to obtain a physical copy of Bill of Entry from the importer as an evidence of import because data can be transferred in secured manner from the system of Customs department to IDPMS. It has been, therefore, decided to discontinue the printing of Exchange control copy of Bill of Entry.

The above instructions are to be made operational from 1.12.16. All Customs Houses at Ports, Air Cargo Complex, ICDs and CFCs have been asked to issue Public Notice. The above step will help the Importers and Exporters to move towards electronic messaging and paper–free environment.

Paperless customs clearance enabled, removing routine physical submissions and allowing system-to-system electronic document exchange for trade. Discontinuation of routine physical printouts for customs clearance in favour of paper-free electronic clearance: GAR 7/TR6 challans, trans-shipment permits and exchange control/export promotion copies of Shipping Bills and Bills of Entry need not be physically submitted where electronic payment evidence and secure electronic transmission to ICEGATE, EDPMS and IDPMS exist, removing documentary requirements for banks, DGFT and ports.