Source: PIB
Key highlights
- As part of the “Ease of Doing Business” initiatives, the Central Board of Excise & Customs, Government of India has taken up implementation of the Single Window Project to facilitate the Trading Across Borders in India.
- The ‘India Customs Single Window’ would allow importers and exporters, the facility to lodge their clearance documents online at a single point only.
- Required permissions, if any, from other regulatory agencies would be obtained online without the trader having to approach these agencies.
- SWIFT would reduce interface with Governmental agencies, dwell time and the cost of doing business.
- The objectives of SWIFT are in line with key programs of Government namely ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’
- The Customs’ SWIFT enables importers/exporters to file a common electronic ‘Integrated Declaration’ on the Indian Customs Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange (EC/EDI) Gateway i.e. ICEGATE portal.
- The Integrated Declaration compiles the information requirements of Customs, FSSAI, Plant Quarantine, Animal Quarantine, Drug Controller, Wild Life Control Bureau, and Textile Committee.
- It replaces nine separate forms required by these 6 different agencies and Customs. With the roll-out of the Single Window, CBEC has also introduced an Integrated Risk Management facility for Partner Government Agencies (PGAs), which will ensure that consignments are not selected by agencies routinely for examination and testing, but based on the principle of risk management.
How will SWIFT help:
- It will provide a single point interface for the clearance of import goods.
- Replaces 9 separate documents with one Integrated Customs Electronic Declaration
- Facilitates trade by reducing Dwell Time & improving Ease of Doing Business
- Reduces Documentation & Cost of Clearance
- Brings 6 participating Government agencies on a single platform
- Eliminates the need for tax-payers to interact separately with these agencies.
- SWIFT will indeed go a long way in order to take the new trade facilitation initiatives of the present Government to new heights in times to come.