Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) & Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd. (DIAL) jointly organized Awareness program on the “Single Window Clearance”
One more Awareness Program on the concept of “Single Window Clearance” was jointly organized by ACFI & DIAL on 5th Aug, 2015 at DIAL Auditorium, New Udaan Bhawan, New Delhi. Mr. S. P. Sahu, Special Commissioner (Customs) who is driving the project “Single Window System” of Customs at national level was invited specially to address the air cargo logistics trade members on this subject. The proposal of Single Window System in India has been initiated by the present government in its Annual Budget 20014 -2015 and CBEC has established a separate Inter Ministerial Group of Officers to undertake this project and Mr. S. P. Sahu has been assigned to implement this important project.
The concept of single window system for the traders is to submit information to government regulatory authorities at one source to fulfill all Import or Export related requirements. The Single Window System can significantly increase the speed at which goods can move, improve business efficiency, reduce the transaction cost and finally enhance the overall service performance of a country.
The competiveness of an international trader depends upon its efficiency of submission of information to government agencies and is a key factor of his business sustainability. It could be judged as the practical application of Trade Facilitation Concept to reduce non-tariff trade barriers and creating the favorable environment of ease of doing business to all members of the trade community.
One of the immediate benefit which will facilitate the clearance of import & export cargo faster when the Single Window System is implemented would be transmission of online NOC by various ancillary government regulatory agencies like Drug Controller, WCCB, Plant and Animal Quarantine, FSSAI etc. directly to Customs electronically in place of agencies presently obtaining the same on hard copies by visiting these ancillary regulatory offices which takes minimum two to three days. In the absence of which clearance of various specific products takes time due to seeking manual NOCs from each ancillary government agency.
The program started with the presentation of Mr. M. D. Kala, GM (Cargo), DIAL on the steps taken by DIAL as airport operator & Custodian of Customs to facilitate online processing & documentation of Import & Export Cargo at IGIA. He gave a detailed presentation on DIAL’s ICMS and web based EDI System serving the trade since 1997 onward. The presence of the trade members were overwhelming as more than 60 members of Air Cargo Community including the members of cargo and members from print media attended this program.
Mr. Sanjiv Edward Head Cargo, DIAL and Mr. Pradeep Panicker, President ACFI & EVP DIAL welcomed Mr. S. P. Sahu, Commissioner Customs and the members attended this program and gave their perspectives about the expectations of the air cargo industry for faster & paperless transaction.
Mr. K. S. Kunwar, Director General, ACFI also welcomed Mr. Sahu for sparing his valuable time to present his paper on the Indian Customs single window system to the members of the entire segments of the air cargo logistics trade & industry. He pointed out that the EDI has been implemented at IGIA since 2006 in the processing of import & export cargo between Customs & Custodian and further between Custodian & the trade partners successfully based on the agreed messages but the paperless processing is yet to happen. He expressed his happiness about the seriousness of the government in bringing ease of doing business in the Airfreight industry by implementing Single Window System in the processing of import & export cargo supported with digitized documents with which the dream of paperless transaction will come true.
- Through an Integrated Declaration data submission will be at one entry point
- Upon filing declarations at one single point the data would be automatically routed to the concern agencies
- The Integrated Risk Management will facilitate the implementation of risk based intervention of participating government agencies.
- Participating Government agencies will Release- Importer/Exporter NOCs online to Customs.
- Trader will submit supporting documents digitally signed so that the processing will be paperless.
- Licenses will be automatic verified
- Payment of Charges will be electronically done. etc.
i. Functional assessment and other various requirements are being finalized.
ii. Some of the features are under development stage
