India Adds Electronic Forms From 23 PGAs to Online Customs System
India is adding about 100 electronic licenses, permits, certificates and authorizations from 23 participating government agencies (PGAs) to the eSANCHIT application, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs said in a June 3 circular. The new forms bring the total number of PGAs using eSANCHIT to 27, with only four previously having been set up in eSANCHIT since electronic filing capabilities for the system were launched in April 2018.
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According to a list of forms attached to the circular, the newly added forms cover a wide range of agricultural commodities, animal products, wood products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and medical devices and textiles, among other things. Both import and export forms are included.
In a separate June 3 circular, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs made changes to the eSANCHIT system to address a lack of participation in the new system from the Indian trade community. The agency is introducing simplified auto registration for ICEGATE, the Indian online customs portal. One of the bottlenecks in registration for ICEGATE had been the requirement for a digital signature certificate of beneficiaries, the circular said, and eliminating that requirement will promote the “effective implementation of PGA-eSANCHIT,” the circular said. The digital signature will still be required to file any declarations with Indian customs, it said.