Cenvat credit withdrawal: credit for duty on molasses used to produce ethanol for OMC blending has been revoked.
Withdrawal of CENVAT credit entitlement for duty paid on molasses used to produce ethanol supplied to public sector OMCs for blending with petrol by omitting clause (ix) of sub rule (6) of rule 6 of the CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004; effected by notification under the Central Excise Act and the Finance Act and effective from publication in the Official Gazette.

Excise duty exemption withdrawal removes tax relief for ethanol from molasses supplied to public fuel companies for petrol blending.
Withdrawal of excise duty exemption on ethanol from molasses for supply to public sector oil marketing companies for petrol blending by omitting serial number 40A and its entries from the Table in Notification No.12/2012 Central Excise; amendment made under Section 5A of the Central Excise Act, 1944 by Notification No.30/2016 Central Excise dated 10 August 2016.

SEZ de-notification: area removed from a sector-specific engineering SEZ, altering its notified extent under statutory rules.
The Central Government, exercising the second proviso to sub section (1) of section 4 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 and rule 8 of the SEZ Rules, 2006, de notifies specified survey parcels of a sector specific engineering SEZ at Nadasalu and adjoining villages following developer proposal, State Government approval and Development Commissioner recommendation; the notification lists the removed parcels and records that requirements of sub section (8) of section 3 of the Act and other conditions have been satisfied, yielding a reduced remaining SEZ extent.

PAN requirement for registration forms: Form 10A now mandates PAN for authors/founders and trustees/managers.
The Income tax (20th Amendment) Rules, 2016 substitute items 4 and 6 in Appendix II, Form 10A to require that details of author(s)/founder(s) and trustee(s)/manager(s) include name, address and PAN, thereby adding permanent account number disclosure to the information required for registration under section 12A.

e-Return Intermediary inclusion expands to Company Secretaries and Cost Accountants, requiring PAN for firms and individuals.
The notification amendment substitutes clauses to state that a firm of Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries, Cost Accountants or Advocates is eligible as an e-Return Intermediary if the firm has been allotted a Permanent Account Number, and that an individual Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, Cost Accountant, Advocate or Tax Return Preparer is eligible if allotted a Permanent Account Number.

Anti-dumping duty on hot-rolled flat steel products imposed to counter dumped imports and protect domestic industry.
Provisional anti-dumping duty is imposed on specified hot-rolled flat products of alloy or non-alloy steel from China, Japan, Korea RP, Russia, Brazil and Indonesia; duty equals the difference between the Table's specified reference amount and the assessed landed value where the latter is lower, calculated per metric tonne in the stated currency. The notification lists covered product descriptions, exclusions, and named producers/exporters, defines "landed value" as assessable value under the Customs Act excluding certain duties, prescribes the exchange rate rule, and makes the duty effective for up to eight months from publication.

Anti-dumping duty on viscose staple fibre imports from China and Indonesia continues with specific per-unit rates and scope.
Imposes anti-dumping duty on Viscose Staple Fibre excluding Bamboo fibre from People's Republic of China and Indonesia after findings of dumping, injury and likelihood of recurrence; prescribes specific producer and exporter based per kilogram rates in US dollars in the notification Table, applies for five years from Gazette publication (subject to earlier change), requires payment in Indian currency, and uses the notified Customs Act exchange rate with the bill of entry date as the relevant date.

Anti-dumping duty on PVC flex films from China set with specified per-unit rates and defined scope, continuing for a fixed term.
Anti dumping duty on PVC Flex Films from the People's Republic of China is continued with specified per kilogram rates differentiated by producer and exporter combinations and by country of origin/export. The designated authority found continued dumping, positive dumping and injury margins, and the likelihood of price undercutting and injury if duties ceased. Exclusions to the scope are listed; duties are payable in Indian currency, calculated using the notified exchange rate with the bill of entry date as the relevant date, and are subject to a fixed term and possible earlier revocation or amendment.

Anti-dumping duty on PVC Flex Film imports requires final assessment despite new shipper review findings.
A new shipper review for PVC Flex Film exports by M/s Haining Tianfu Warp Knitting Co. Ltd and M/s Manna, Korea RP concluded no individual dumping margin but recommended that consignments provisionally assessed since initiation of the review be subjected to the previously imposed anti-dumping duty. The Central Government, under the Customs Tariff Act and applicable rules, has directed that those provisionally assessed imports be finally assessed on payment of the anti-dumping duty at the prescribed per unit rate.

Anti dumping duty continuation on MBTS imports upheld by administrative amendment extending the in force period of the original notification.
The amendment extends the anti-dumping duty on Dibenzothiazole disulphide (MBTS) originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China by inserting a paragraph in the principal 2011 notification, pursuant to powers under the Customs Tariff Act and the implementing rules, to keep that notification in force until 19 October 2017 unless revoked earlier.

Anti-dumping duty extension on sodium nitrite from China maintained for a further limited period pending review.
Amendment to the principal notification extends the anti-dumping duty on Sodium Nitrite originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China by inserting a paragraph that keeps the existing duty in force for an additional limited period, without changing the duty's rate or tariff scope, pending completion of the statutory continuation review and subject to earlier revocation.

SEZ investigative authorization permits customs and excise commissioners to inspect and search units with prior intimation to Development Commissioner.
Central Government authorises jurisdictional Customs and Central Excise Commissioners to carry out investigation, inspection, search or seizure in a Special Economic Zone or Unit for offences under the Customs Act, central excise and related notified tax laws, provided the reasons for action are recorded in writing and prior intimation is given to the concerned Development Commissioner.

Enforcement authority in SEZs authorised to investigate customs and excise offences, must notify SEZ division within seven days.
Central Government authorises specified senior intelligence officers as enforcement officer(s) in Special Economic Zones for offences under the Customs Act, Central Excise Act and the Finance Act, empowering them to carry out investigation, inspection, search and seizure with reasons recorded in writing, and requires intimating details of any action to the Joint Secretary in charge of the SEZ Division immediately and not later than seven days from initiation.

Designation of specified customs, excise and finance offences as SEZ offences extends enforcement reach under the SEZ framework.
The Central Government, exercising the SEZ Act notification power, designates specified offences under the Customs Act, the Central Excise Act and the Finance Act as offences under the SEZ regime, thereby bringing those statutory offences within the SEZ Act's enforcement and penal scope.

Jurisdiction for refunds: Customs and Central Excise authorities to handle SEZ indirect tax matters under applicable statutes.
Refund, demand, adjudication, review and appeal for authorised operations and related transactions in Special Economic Zones shall be made by the jurisdictional Customs and Central Excise authorities under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, the Central Excise Act and the Finance Act and rules and notifications thereunder. All authorised operations and transactions in SEZs and SEZ units shall be audited by Customs officers drawn from a panel prepared by the Jurisdictional Development Commissioner in consultation with the Jurisdictional Chief Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise.

Registration-cum-Membership Certificate requirement conditions access to SEZ exemptions and concessions for units and developers.
Amendment requires SEZ units and developers, including co-developers, to obtain a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate-defined as the membership certificate issued by the Export Promotion Council for Export Oriented Units and Special Economic Zones-in order to avail exemptions, drawbacks and concessions; changes are made to the definitions in rule 2 and to eligibility conditions in rule 22 and take effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Commencement of sections 188 to 194 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code brings those provisions into force on notified date.
The Central Government, under the proviso to sub section (3) of section 1 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, notifies a date as the day on which sections 188 to 194 of the Code shall come into force, thereby commencing those provisions by statutory notification.

Notification under section 194A: MUDRA designated for withholding purposes and effective on publication immediately.
Notification designating Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Limited (MUDRA) for the purposes of section 194A of the Income-tax Act, with effect from its publication in the Official Gazette, thereby bringing MUDRA within the operation of the subsection (3) withholding provisions.

Safeguard duty exemption for imports priced at or above prescribed CIF thresholds, based on assessable value criteria.
The amendment replaces paragraph 2 of Notification No.1/2016-Customs (SG) to provide that specified tariff items are not subject to safeguard duty when imported at or above the prescribed import price on a CIF basis, with units and currency identified per entry. The notification defines "import price on CIF basis" as the assessable value determined under section 14 of the Customs Act, linking the exemption to customs valuation.

Tax exemption for notified charitable projects extended through 2016 17; certain projects receive sanctioned cost enhancements.
The Central Government, on the National Committee's recommendation and under the Income Tax Act and Rules, notifies extensions of approval and, where specified, enhancements of sanctioned costs for listed charitable projects to preserve their eligibility for exemption under Section 35AC through the financial year 2016 17. The Table records each approved institution, its project, prior notifications and costs, and the Committee's recommended maximum cost and extended approval period. The exemption expressly excludes funds received under Schedule VII of Section 135 of the Companies Act and the Companies (CSR) Rules.