With the aim of further improving Ease of Doing Business in cross border trade, and to align certain provisions with the commitments under the Trade Facilitation Agreement, the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley announced certain changes to the Customs Act, 1962 while presenting the General Budget 2018-19 in Parliament today.

Shri Jaitley added that to smoothen dispute resolution processes and to reduce litigation, these amendments are being made to provide for pre-notice consultation, definite timelines for adjudication and deemed closure of cases if those timelines are not adhered to.

Timelines for adjudication and pre-notice consultation introduced to streamline customs dispute resolution and reduce litigation. Proposed Customs Act amendments require pre-notice consultation before formal notices, institute definite timelines for adjudication, and provide for deemed closure of cases where timelines are missed, aligning procedures with Trade Facilitation Agreement commitments to streamline dispute resolution and reduce litigation.