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Open House Meeting held on 13-1-2006
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OFFICE OF THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS
MINUTES OF THE OPEN HOUSE MEETING OF THE CHIEF COMMISSIONERS OF CUSTOMS, MUMBAI ZONE-I, II & III HELD WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TRADE AND INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS ON 13th January, 2006 AT 3.30 P.M. IN THE CONFERENCE HALL OF THE MUMBAI CUSTOM HOUSE. 1. The Open House Meeting for the month of December, 2005 was held under the Chairmanship of Shri K. M. Tiwari, Chief Commissioner of Customs, Mumbai Zone - I and Shri P. C. Jha, Chief Commissioner of Customs. Mumbai Zone-II, on 13.01.2006, at 3.30 P.M. in the Conference Hall, New Custom House, Ballard Estate, Mumbai - 400 001. The following senior officers of the Department attended the meeting. (1) Smt. Neelam Rattan Negi, Commissioner of Customs (EP), Mumbai Zone-I 2. The following representatives of the BCHAA, Trade and Industry attended the meeting:
2) MANSA (Mumbai and Nhava-Sheva Ship-Agents Association) 3) AIIEA (All India Importers & Exporters Association) 4) D.M.A.I. 5) Indo Myanmar Chamber of Commerce & Industries 6) IDMA 7) ASSOCHAM 8) SRTEPC 9) Indian Merchants Chamber 10) M.C.C.& I. 11) Tata Power 12) Assocaition of Importers & Exporters of Man-made Textiles\ 13) Individual / Member of the Public 3. At the outset, the Chief Commissioners of Customs, welcomed all the representatives of the Associations of the Trade, Industry and C.H.As., and the officers present in the meeting. The Chief Commissioner informed the Trade that a declining trend in Revenue Collection has been noticed during the months of Nov. 2005 and December 2005. He, therefore, requested all the Representatives present in the meeting to exhort their constituents to extend co-operation and make all-out efforts to maximize clearances of imported goods, to the mutual benefit of Trade and Industry and the Department. 4. 4.1 With regard to Point No.4.1 of the Minutes of the last Meeting, the Chief Commissioner informed the Members that certain clarifications have been sought from C.C.(E.P.) N.C.H., Mumbai with regard to Draft format of BG and the same will be forwarded to the Board, by the end of the month. 4.2 With regard to Point no. 4.2 of the previous minutes relating to "Delay in Testing of Samples and Submission of Test Reports", the Chief Commissioner informed that Joint Director, CRCL, Headquarter had visited the Laboratory of N.C.H., Mumbai on 09.12.2005, and had held a meeting with the Trade Representatives on various issues relating to the working of the Departmental Laboratory. He further informed that the Commissioner of Customs (General) has since already written a D.O. letter on 19.12.2005 to the Joint Secretary, CBEC, New Delhi requesting him to provide requisite modern instruments to the Laboratory and also to fill up the vacancies of Group ‘A’ posts in the Laboratory. He also informed that the matter has also been taken up directly by the Joint Director, CRCL with the Board for providing literature/standards, modernization and Up-gradation of Laboratory in terms of Instruments and Testing facilities. The Minutes of the last Meeting held on 07.12.2005 were thereafter adopted and treated as approved. 5. Thereafter, the Agenda Points as forwarded by ‘The Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council’ (SRTEPC) were taken up for discussion. 5.1 With regard to the point relating to ‘Online Verification of DEPBs’, the Chief Commissioner clarified that the Board have asked for the comments in this regard and the Commissioner of Customs (EP), Mumbai, has already sent her comments to the Board. He further informed that till such time, any clarifications are received from the Board, manual verification of DEPBs will be continued. 6. Thereafter, the Agenda Points forwarded by Shri Rajiv Gupta were taken up for discussion. 6.1 With regard to the point relating to ‘Right to Information Act”, the Chief Commissioner clarified that necessary steps are being taken up to provide distinct Email ID of the CPIO/CAPIO for sending queries relating to Right to Information Act electronically. All the CPIOs under Mumbai Customs Zone are accordingly being advised to ensure that e-mail ID of CPIOs/CAPIOs are uploaded/displayed on the Custom House Website. He further clarified that, in terms of Rule 3 of Right to Information (Regulation of Fee & Cost) Rules, 2005, the application fee for making a request for obtaining information can be paid by way of cash against proper receipt or by Demand Draft or by Bankers Cheque to the Account Officer. There is no provision in the Rules for making payment of fee by way of Postal Order. Hence, the payment of fee through Postal Order cannot be accepted. 6.2 In regard to the point relating to ‘Test Report in respect of Shipping Bill No. 3145100 dt 8.12.2004” the Chief Commissioner Zone - II informed that the action has been initiated to complete the assessment on merits. 6.3 With regard to the point relating to “incorrect debit made in the DEPB No. 0310305497 of M/s Gemini Exports, Mumbai”, the Chief Commissioner informed that the matter is under active consideration and necessary re-credit will be made after due verification. 7. The meeting thereafter ended with thanks to the Chair. 8. The next Open House Meeting will be held on 17.2.06 at 15.30 hrs. The points sponsored for discussion for the next meeting should reach POSITIVELY by 03.02.2006 in the offices of the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Mumbai Zone I, II and III. Points received after the said date, will be taken up for discussion only in the next Open House Meeting. Sd/- Copy for information and wide circulation to : |
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