To promote ease of doing business, the revenue department has decided to launch shortly paperless processing of documents at Chennai and New Delhi on pilot basis. In March 2016, the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) had stated that it was in process of procuring IT infrastructure to capture digitally signed copies of the supporting trade documents.
“Under project ‘Saksham’, the CBEC has upgraded its IT infrastructure, which would inter alia be used for introduction of paperless processing under Single Window Interface for Facilitation of Trade (SWIFT),” the Board said in a circular. Now, with an aim to increase the speed to clearance, the CBEC proposes to introduce a facility to upload digitally signed supporting documents on pilot basis to be ‘shortly launched’ at Air Cargo Complex, New Delhi, and Chennai Customs House.
“The pilot will cover all types of imports under Indian Customs EDI System (ICES),” the circular said. Paperless processing will also reduce physical interface between Customs/regulatory authorities and the trade. Under the pilot project, traders and brokers would be required to submit all trade documents online on ICEGATE after affixing digital signatures.