Of 24x7 customs clearance

In a bid to remove a major bottleneck to foreign trade, customs clearance will now be available round the clock, seven days a week in four major airports and ports in the country.
Four airports where round the clock customs clearance for cargo would be available are Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai, while the four ports are Chennai, Kolkata, Kandla and JNPT, Mumbai, Prime Minister’s Office said .
This facility would begin from August 25. Import and export cargo, delivered at a time when clearance facilities are unavailable, have to wait till clearance facilities are open resulting in piling up of cargo at major airports and ports in the country.
The 24x7 operations would begin on a pilot basis with customs operations along with all other complementary services. This would be initially for four months after which efforts would be made to expand similar operations at other locations.
The 24x7 operations would be available for certain categories of imports and exports. For imports, “No Assessment No Examination“ category cargo will be covered. This would account for 70 per cent of imports. For exports, the 24x7 facility could be extended to those exports not claiming benefits.
For smooth operationalisation of 24x7, commissioner of customs concerned at these locations shall hold meetings with all stakeholders, the PMO statement said.