In an effort to facilitate trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) will electronically disburse duty drawback amount directly to exporter’s bank account in a transparent and efficient manner with effect from today, 5^th June, 2024.

The payment of duty drawback amounts into the exporters' accounts will be facilitated through the Public Finance Management System (PFMS) automatically. This is another initiative of the CBIC towards paperless Customs and enhanced trade facilitation.

This new functionality is expected to reduce time taken for payment of drawback amount by eliminating manual intervention in the drawback disbursal mechanism and increase transparency.

Duty Drawback under section 75 of the Customs Act, 1962 rebates customs duty chargeable on any imported materials or excisable materials used in the manufacture of export goods. Duty Drawback claims are processed through the Customs Automated System (CAS), enumerated in a scroll, Computerised Customs Drawback Advice (CCDA) is printed and sent to the Authorised Bank branch along with supporting single cheque of consolidated amount for payment of duty drawback amounts into the exporters' accounts. This contributes to the delay in the disbursal of duty drawback.

The CBIC continues to play a key role in India's efforts to improve ease of doing business through trade facilitation and having fully implemented the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), CBIC now aims to undertake next generational Trade Facilitation reforms adopting the TFA plus approach.

Electronic disbursal of duty drawback: automated PFMS transfers to exporters' bank accounts to speed and increase transparency. CBIC will electronically disburse Duty Drawback payments directly into exporters' bank accounts via the Public Finance Management System, automating transfers for claims processed through the Customs Automated System and replacing the prior CCDA and consolidated cheque mechanism to reduce manual intervention, improve transparency and accelerate payment under the framework of section 75 of the Customs Act, 1962.