Representations have been received in the Board that for clearance of import consignments without payment of duty, EOU/EHTP/STP units are required to get themselves registered at the port of Import with the Customs Authorities repeatedly when imports are made through different ports. This practice of repeated registration is stated to be causing delay in clearance of imported consignments.

2. The matter has been examined in the Board. In order to obviate the problems of the EOU/ EHTP/STP, the Board has considered to put in place a simplified procedure for registration. The EOU/EHTP/STP units after setting up of EOU/EHTP/STP unit, may get themselves registered at the port of Import(ICD/Airport/CFS etc) where from the unit expects to import goods duty free.

3. Every unit would be required to furnish the following documents along with the application for registration with the Assistant Commissioner/Deputy Commissioner incharge of the port of import:

(a) Copy of LOP
(b) Copy of Private Bonded Warehousing License issued under section 58 of the Customs Act,
(c) Bank attested signatures of authorized signatories of the EOU/EHTP/STP unit.
(d) Passport size photograph of Director/Proprietor/signatories
(e) Copy of IEC No (f) Copy of green card

4. The application for registration may be made in plain paper in the form of letter to the Assistant Commissioner of Customs/Deputy Commissioner of Customs incharge of the port of import enclosing the above stated documents.

5. On receipt of the above documents alongwith the application for registration, the Customs Authorities shall grant registration to the EOU/EHTP/STP unit within 5 working days of the receipt of application for registration. The Customs Authorities in charge of the port may verify the authenticity of the copy of the Private Bonded warehousing license or any other relevant particulars from the jurisdictional Assistant Commissioner. A letter by registered post may also be subsequently sent for confirming the authenticity of the copy of the Private Bonded warehousing license issued by the Customs/Central Excise Authority. However, this verification should not be a cause of delay in issuance of registration certificate. In case the verification report is not received from the jurisdictional Assistant Commissioner in charge of the unit within 5 working days, the registration may be granted to the unit. The Assistant Commissioner/Deputy Commissioner of Port of Import would issue the unit a certificate stating that the unit has been registered.

6. Once an EOU/EHTP/STP unit is registered at one port of import, it would not be required to get itself registered subsequently in any other port of import for clearance of goods duty free. The import consignments would be allowed clearance on the basis of registration issued at any port of Import. However, the authenticity of the registration certificate shall be verified by the concerned Custom House from port of registration.

7. All the existing procedure for clearance of imported goods duty free from the port of Import, as prescribed by the Board from time to time in respect of EOU/EHTP/STP unit would apply.

8. The above, circular may please be given wide publicity by way of issuance of Public Notice.

9. Difficulties if any, faced in implementing the above circular, the same may please be brought to the notice of the Board immediately.

F.No.305/EOU/01/2005-DGEP
 

(M.M. Parthiban)
Director (Customs)