The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : `Online facility helps speed up cargo clearance'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Online facility helps speed up cargo clearance'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, APRIL 6. More than 1,300 units, over 50 per cent of the country's export-oriented units, are located in Bangalore and the Department of Customs here has to be more vigilant for violations and irregularities compared with other cities.

The department has initiated trade facilitation measures to tackle the problems, maximise the revenue, and satisfy the customer.

The Chief Commissioner of Customs Bangalore Zone, R. Sundar Raman, told presspersons here today that after the department went online in 1998 at all its 23 stations, it had been proved that Bangalore had the fastest online facility to clear cargo. It took 104 hours for the various agencies involved in lifting the cargo to complete the process. Of this, the Customs Department took 15 hours to complete its process, and efforts were constantly on to reduce the time taken.

Today, 90 per cent of export-import transactions were processed online. This had reduced the contact points and speeded up cargo clearance considerably. Exporters and importers had been tracking the movement of their documents, using facilities such as the interactive voice response system, short messaging service, and web-based tracking system.

Online filing of documents through floppy diskettes had eliminated delay in entering the details of documents at the Customs service centres. Thirty per cent of the documents were being filed through the on-line system or the floppy system. The Bangalore Customs website, www.kar.nic.in/blrcustoms, was a popular one, where all information relevant to the trade was available. It also had links for the trade to file grievances and suggestions.

Mr. Sundar Raman said the total tax collection at the national level was Rs. 91,000 crore in Central Excise against a target of Rs. 91,850 crore. Customs collection was Rs. 48,000 crore against a target of Rs. 49,350 crore. Service tax collection was Rs. 7,600 crore against a target of Rs. 8,300 crore. The total collections were Rs. 1,39,600 crore for Customs and Central Excise.

In Karnataka, Central Excise and Customs contributed Rs. 2,732 crore in Customs and Rs. 8,923 crore in Central Excise duties. The service tax collection was about Rs. 500 crore.

The Bangalore International Airport witnessed 2,288 incoming flights and 2,288 outgoing flights in 2002-03. The number of passengers was 3.89 lakh. In 2003-04, there were 2,743 incoming flights and 2,753 outgoing flights. The number of passengers was 4.77 lakh. The increase in the number of passengers could be attributed to the extension of facilities such as increase of free allowance in baggage to Rs. 25,000 from Rs. 12,000; the Customs duty reduction to 40 per cent from 50 per cent, and the provision to allow one laptop per adult passenger without duty. Items such VCR, washing machine, cooking range, personal computer, and refrigerator could be brought in without duties under transfer of residence.

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