Exchange rates for export goods set by government notification, prescribing specified currency conversion rates for customs purposes.
The Central Government determines official exchange rates for conversion of specified foreign currencies into Indian currency for export goods under the Customs Act and supersedes the prior notification; the rates set forth in Schedule I (per unit) and Schedule II (per one hundred units) are the applicable conversion rates for customs export purposes from the notification's effective date.

Exchange rate prescription sets conversion rates for foreign currencies for stamp duty and customs purposes effective January 1999.
Prescribes exchange rates for conversion between specified foreign currencies and Indian rupees for calculating stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act and for section 14 of the Customs Act insofar as relating to imported goods; supersedes the prior notification and declares that, with effect from 1 January 1999, the rates set out in Schedule I and Schedule II are the applicable conversion rates.

Eligibility of industrial parks for tax benefits set by operational start date and central approval requirement.
Rule 18C conditions eligibility of industrial parks for tax benefits: the undertaking must commence operations within the specified commencement window, obtain approval by the Ministry of Industry under the notified industrial park scheme, and continue to fulfil the scheme's conditions; on such approval the Central Board of Direct Taxes will notify industrial parks as eligible for benefits.

Safeguard duty on Propylene Glycol imposed with specified temporary rates, subject to advance licence and developing country exemptions.
Safeguard duty is imposed on Propylene Glycol (sub-heading 2905.32) for eighteen months, at 16% until 23 December 1999 and at 11% from 24 December 1999 to 23 June 2000. Exemptions apply to imports under specified Advance Licences on condition they are used only to discharge export obligations and replenishment rules are followed, and to imports from developing countries except Singapore.

Safeguard duty on flexible slabstock polyol imposed to protect domestic industry, with phased rates and specified exemptions.
Safeguard duty is imposed on Flexible Slabstock Polyol (molecular weight 3000-4000) used in slabstock and polyurethane foam mattress manufacture under section 8B of the Customs Tariff Act and related safeguard rules, for eighteen months based on DG(Safeguards) findings of serious injury caused by increased imports. Exemptions cover specified Advance Licences subject to utilisation and replenishment conditions, and goods originating in listed developing countries except Singapore.

Customs exemption for fuel injection parts conditioned on importer undertaking and excise certification of intended use.
The amendment substitutes Serial Number 136 to grant conditional concessional treatment to parts of fuel injection equipment and related components imported for manufacture, warranty or after sales service, and replaces Condition 21 to require an importer's undertaking at importation and, within a specified period, a certificate from the central excise authority confirming that the imported goods were used for the declared purposes.

Anti-dumping duty on industrial sewing machine needles imposed on imports from Japan, Korea RP and China with specified exporter rates.
Imposition of Anti-dumping duty on industrial sewing machine needles under Chapter 84, applying exporter and country specific duty rates per thousand needles for specified needle types; named exporters listed for Japan and Korea RP and all exporters covered for the People's Republic of China; measure effective up to and inclusive of 23 June 1999.

Import prohibition on plastic waste, with an exception allowing EPZ imports subject to a Public Notice.
The Export and Import Policy 1997-2002 is amended to prohibit imports of all kinds of plastic waste, parings and scrap by substituting Sl. No. 4 of Paragraph 15.1, and corresponding ITC(HS) entries are amended to mark specified polymer and plastic waste Exim codes as "Not permitted to be imported except for EPZs," with imports for EPZs to be permitted only in accordance with a Public Notice.

Exchange rate amendment updates notified foreign currency valuations for export customs procedures, changing scheduled currency rates effective immediately.
Amendment revises notified exchange rates for export goods by substituting entries in Schedule I and Schedule II, replacing prior rates for Pound Sterling, Swiss Franc, Belgian Francs and Japanese Yen with updated rupee equivalents. The substituted rates alter the valuation basis for those foreign currencies in customs export procedures and are effective from the stated commencement date.

Tax-free bond specification: exemption granted for specified Konkan Railway bonds subject to holder registration requirement.
Central Government specifies tax-free Konkan Railway Bonds (7A-Series) under sub-clause (h) of clause (iv) of sub-section (15) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act, identifying bonds with distinctive numbers 1 to 11,40,000 issued by Konkan Railway Corporation Limited; the tax-exempt benefit is admissible only if the holder registers their name and holding with the Corporation.

Appointment of Common Adjudicating Authority centralizes adjudication of specified show cause notices against M/s. Exotic Fashions.
Under sub section (1) of section 4 of the Customs Act, 1962, the Central Government appoints the Commissioner of Customs (Imports), Mumbai to exercise the powers of specified Commissioners for the sole purpose of adjudicating the listed show cause notices issued to M/s. Exotic Fashions, with each notice identified in the Table by reference number and originating authority.

Duty exemption on imports by software development units for data processing activities affirmed, retrospective non-levy applied to prior imports.
The Central Government directs that the duty of customs under the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act and any additional duty under the Customs Tariff Act shall not be required to be paid on specified goods imported by software developing units when those goods were used for data entry and conversion, data processing, data analysis and control or data management in support of export or on-site consultancy, for the period up to the date when the relevant notifications were amended to include those activities.

Appointment of customs commissioners: valuation officers designated as concurrent customs authorities with nationwide jurisdiction.
The notification designates officers of the Directorate of Valuation as concurrent customs officers-Principal Commissioner/Commissioner, Additional Commissioners, Joint/Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners-thereby aligning their titles and conferring authority with jurisdiction extending to the whole of India, enacted under the powers of the Customs Act and subject to textual substitutions by later notifications.

Exemption from anti-dumping duty extended to include Sterling Fibres Ltd for acrylic fibre imports under amended notification.
The Central Government amended Notification No. 81/97-Cus to extend the exemption from anti-dumping duty on acrylic fibre by adding Sterling Fibres Ltd alongside Cytec Industries Inc., substituting the proviso and the Table entry for Serial No. 1, relying on powers under the Customs Tariff Act and the Anti-dumping Duty Rules and the designated authority's published clarification.

Interest on delayed fee remittance imposes a monthly charge and permits board enforcement actions, with small-amount waiver.
The amendment requires a stock broker who fails to remit fees to pay interest at 15% per annum for each month of delay or part thereof; the Board may take additional action under the Act or Regulations; and the Board may waive interest where the liability on account of interest is Rs. 100 or less, considering administrative recovery costs.

Income-tax rules amendment removes certain subclauses from a specified rule, modifying procedural provisions under the Income-tax Rules.
The notification effects a targeted amendment to the Income-tax Rules, 1962: in Part I, rule 2D, sub rule (5), clauses (b) and (c) are expressly omitted, and the amendment is made as the Income-tax (26th Amendment) Rules, 1998 to take effect from the first day of April following promulgation.

Modvat credit eligibility widened as 'exclusively' replaced by 'primarily', broadening claims for yarn and fibre inputs.
Amendment under sub-rule (2) of rule 57A of the Central Excise Rules replaces "exclusively" with "primarily" in paragraph 7B of Notification No. 29/96-C.E. (N.T.), thereby broadening the qualifying standard for Modvat credit on yarn and fibres claimed on a deemed basis from sole use to predominant use.

Regulatory wording change: "primarily" replaces "exclusively" in excise notifications affecting processed textile fabric rules.
The Central Government amends three Central Excise (Non-Tariff) notifications dealing with processed textile fabrics produced by independent processors by substituting the word "primarily" for "exclusively" in the specified Explanation clauses, thereby altering the operative wording that governs the applicable criterion in those notifications.

Export permission for sands and soils to Maldives granted with specified annual quantitative limits under foreign trade policy.
Permission is granted for the export of sands and soils to the Maldives by amending the Export and Import Policy 1997-2002 to allow exports to the Maldives subject to specified annual quantitative ceilings for stone aggregate and river sand, the amendment being issued in the public interest.

Amendment to Duty Entitlement Pass Book alters eligible import locations by expanding the list of named towns.
The Central Government amends Notification No. 34/97-Customs under its Customs Act authority to substitute in condition (iv) the words "Guntur, Varanasi and Jodhpur" with an expanded list adding Salem, Tirupur, Singanalur, Waluj and Malanpur, thereby altering the localities referenced in that condition of the Duty Entitlement Pass Book exemption notification.