Special Economic Zone expansion at Kozhikode approved, adding notified land to the IT/ITES SEZ under SEZ Act.
The Central Government, acting under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 and rule 8 of the Special Economic Zones Rules, 2006, notifies inclusion of an additional 1.5637 hectares into the IT/ITES Special Economic Zone at Nellikode and Pandeerakavu Villages, Kozhikode District, increasing the SEZ total to 11.6847 hectares and listing the specific survey numbers and area allocations comprising the addition.

Due diligence certification: EPCH authorized to issue certificates confirming legal sourcing of wood for handicraft manufacture.
The Central Government adds Note 3 to Chapter 44 of Schedule 2 of the ITC(HS) Classification, authorizing the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts to issue certificates on the due diligence adopted by exporters in procuring wood from legal sources for manufacture of handicraft articles; upon request by a foreign buyer or other agency, the designated nodal agency will provide documentary assurance of legal sourcing.

International postal rates revised: new per weight charges and applicable surcharges and taxes now prescribed under amended rules.
The amendment to rule 50 C substitutes the entries in Schedule I and Schedule II for the columns setting charges for the first 250 grams (or part thereof) and for each additional 250 grams (or part thereof), prescribing new country wise international postage rates. It further provides that any surcharge, cess, tax or similar charge notified by the Government shall apply in addition to these tariffs and thereby governs postage assessment for outward international mail.

Postal rates amendment updates international parcel charges, altering first weight and subsequent weight tariffs and tax applicability.
The amendment to the Indian Post Office Rules replaces the entries in Schedules I and II for charges on the first 250 grams and for every additional 250 grams for specified international destinations, setting country specific postal tariffs and distinguishing certain regional variants. The notification is issued under statutory rulemaking authority, comes into force from the stated commencement date, and confirms that any government notified charges, surcharges, cesses or taxes shall also apply in addition to the revised postal rates.

Import price threshold for areca nuts raised, affecting free import eligibility where CIF meets the revised minimum.
The import policy for areca nuts in Chapter 8 of ITC (HS) 2012 is amended: tariff subheadings 0802 80 10, 0802 80 20, 0802 80 30 and 0802 80 90 are subject to a Free import policy only when the CIF value meets or exceeds the revised minimum threshold; the notification raises the prior CIF minimum to a higher fixed minimum applicable for eligibility.

Voluntary service tax compliance scheme requires registration, specific declaration and acknowledgement forms, and prescribed payment procedures.
The rules require that declarants be registered under the Service Tax Rules if not already registered; declarations must be made in Form VCES-1 with the authority issuing Form VCES-2 acknowledgement within seven working days. Tax dues and applicable interest must be paid to the Central Government as prescribed for service tax payments, with CENVAT credit prohibited for this purpose. Upon receipt of full payment details, the authority must issue Form VCES-3 acknowledgement of discharge within seven working days.

Custodian appointment requires bonds and bank guarantees to secure duties and cover transshipment liability for cargo movements.
The custodian is authorised to handle unloading of imports and loading of exports at the notified Customs area until goods are cleared, exported, warehoused or transshipped, subject to conditions: execute/renew a bond per the Handling of Cargo in Customs Area Regulations, 2009 with a Bank Guarantee at 10% of bond value; provide a separate bond and 10% Bank Guarantee covering duty incentives for export/transshipment movements and bear liability for duty and penalties for goods lost during transshipment; earlier notification conditions apply mutatis mutandis.

Customs duty on cashew nuts: new tariff entries impose specific duty with ad valorem fallback, higher rate prevailing.
The Central Government, under section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, amends Notification No. 12/2012-Customs by inserting two tariff entries (22A and 22B) covering specified HS subheadings for cashew nuts and applying duties composed of a specific rate per unit or an ad valorem rate, with the higher of the two to prevail, effected by Notification No. 27/2013-Customs dated 10 May 2013.

Rate of exchange wording amended to base foreign currency quote on one hundred units, clarifying Schedule II table.
Corrigendum to Notification No. 36/2013 Customs (N.T.) dated 10 April 2013 replaces, in column (3) of Schedule II, the heading "Rate of exchange of one unit of foreign currency equivalent to Indian rupees" with "Rate of exchange of 100 units of foreign currency equivalent to Indian rupees".

Special Court designation for offences connected with Satyam to centralise trial jurisdiction under the PMLA.
The Central Government, exercising powers under section 43(1) of the Prevention of Money laundering Act, 2002 read with section 33 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, designates the XXI Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Nampally, Hyderabad as a Court of Session under section 9 CrPC and declares it a "Special Court" to try offences in respect of all cases connected with M/s. Satyam Computers Services Limited.

Local office establishment secures regional investor protection and grievance redressal services across Bihar.
Establishment of a Local Office of the Board at Patna under the administrative control of the Eastern Regional Office at Kolkata to look after regulatory functions for investor protection, facilitation of investor grievance redressal, financial and investor education, and other functions as assigned, with role and responsibility extending to areas falling under the territorial jurisdiction of the State of Bihar.

Treatment of performance guarantees now counts partial exposure and requires prior approval where invocation breaches exposure limits.
Regulatory amendments treat fifty per cent of performance guarantees issued by an Indian party for its overseas JV/WOS as part of overseas financial commitments and require prior Reserve Bank approval if invocation would breach exposure ceilings; bank guarantees issued by resident banks on behalf of overseas JV/WOS and backed by counter-guarantee/collateral of the Indian party are fully included. The Regulations permit loans, corporate guarantees for first-generation step-down companies, personal guarantees by indirect resident promoters within limits, CCPS to be treated as equity, and allow listed Indian parties to write off up to twenty-five per cent of equity/receivables subject to documentation and reporting, with creation of charges on assets permitted with prior approval.

Guarantee by Indian promoters for overseas JV or WOS allowed, subject to compliance with transfer and issue regulatory conditions.
An Indian party promoting or setting up outside India a Joint Venture or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary may give guarantees to or on behalf of that JV or WOS in connection with its business, provided the terms and conditions in the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer and Issue of Foreign Security) (Amendment) Regulations, 2004 continue to be complied with. An authorized dealer in India may also give such guarantees. The Indian party may also guarantee the obligations of the first generation step down operating company, and 'Indian Party' is defined as in the Transfer or Issue Regulations.

Foreign Currency Account rules permit resident Indians to hold FCAs abroad for overseas direct investment, subject to compliance.
An Indian party may open, hold and maintain a Foreign Currency Account abroad exclusively for overseas direct investment into a JV/WOS, provided the party is eligible under existing overseas direct investment regulations, the host country requires a designated account, and the FCA is maintained under host country law. Remittances into the FCA must be used only for the investment; dividends and entitlements must be repatriated within thirty days; annual debit/credit details must be submitted to the designated AD bank with a statutory auditor's certificate; and the FCA must be closed immediately or within thirty days after disinvestment or cessation.

Special Additional Duty exemption withdrawal on brass scrap imports, revoking the specific customs concession by amendment.
Withdrawal of the Special Additional Duty exemption on imports of brass scrap by omission of serial number 80 from the Table in Notification No. 21/2012 Customs, effected through Notification No. 26/2013 Customs, thereby revoking the specific exemption without creating a new tariff item.

Customs exemption for imported liquefied and natural gas allowed when supplied to generating company, subject to security and verification.
Exemption permits import of LNG and NG by specified importers for supply to a generating company for generation and supply of electrical energy, excluding captive generating plants, subject to furnishing a bank guarantee equal to the duty difference, producing a post import certificate of utilisation within six months (or allowed extension), and furnishing an undertaking to pay the duty difference with applicable interest on demand.

Exemptions amendment expands central excise exemptions to include jaggery powder, specified bamboo products, roofing tiles and certain steel inputs.
Amendments insert jaggery powder under heading 1701 and add flattened bamboo boards and bamboo flooring tiles under chapter 44 to the exemption Tables of notifications 1/2011 and 2/2011, and in notification 12/2012 introduce nil-duty entries for specified headings including roofing tiles, exempt certain steel supplied for use in manufacture of listed headings subject to Customs Act conditions, and include particle/fibre board from agricultural residues.

Taxability of construction services tied to timing of payment and conditions on CENVAT credit and land value inclusion.
Amendment clarifies that construction for sale is taxable where consideration is received wholly or partly before issuance of the completion certificate and distinguishes residential units meeting specified carpet area and price thresholds from other constructions. Taxability is subject to two conditions: CENVAT credit on inputs has not been taken under the CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004, and the value of land is included in the amount charged to the service receiver.

VAT exemption for diplomatic purchases: amendment adds Tajikistan's embassy and diplomats to scheduled VAT relief provisions.
The Commissioner, exercising powers under sub section (2) of Section 103 of the Delhi Value Added Tax Act, 2004, inserted a new Sixth Schedule entry (96 C) providing VAT exemption/refund for the Republic of Tajikistan in New Delhi in respect of official Embassy purchases and personal purchases of its diplomats, following a reciprocity request from the Ministry of External Affairs and circulated for administrative publication and implementation.

Special Economic Zone designation for a copper zone establishes notified area, approval committee and ICD status under Customs law.
Notification designates a sector specific Special Economic Zone for copper at Therkku Veerapandiapuram, Tamil Nadu, detailing notified survey numbers aggregating 128.805 hectares, founded on statutory powers under the SEZ Act and Rules. It constitutes an Approval Committee with specified ex officio members and state nominees for purposes of section 14, and declares the SEZ as an Inland Container Depot under the Customs Act effective 3 May 2013.