Govt waives customs overtime charges for cruise passengers

New Delhi: The government has exempted international cruise passengers from paying merchant overtime charges for customs clearance of passengers and accompanying baggage at designated round-the-clock customs ports.

The move is aimed at boosting cruise tourism and easing passenger processing, the CBIC said in a circular issued late Tuesday. The decision follows representations from the shipping ministry, the Cruise Bharat Mission and industry stakeholders, who argued that the levy increased operational costs and reduced competitiveness of Indian cruise destinations, the circular said.