Government sets up CCFCs at ports to expedite customs clearance

NEW DELHI: The government has set up Customs Clearance and Facilitation Committees (CCFCs) at ports to ensure expeditious customs clearance of goods to improve ease of doing business for traders.

"Ease of doing business: Customs Clearance and Facilitation Committees in ports bringing in systemic improvements. It's a recent initiative," Revenue Secretary Shaktikanta Das said in a tweet.

It will facilitate trade at all the major customs seaports and airports.

Welcoming the move, exporters body FIEO (Federation of Indian Export Organisations) said the move will help in getting faster clearances from different agencies.

"Traders take clearances from different agencies for exports and imports. These committees will help in resolving matters related to clearances. Any delay in this process impacts traders," FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai said.

The CCFC will be headed by the chief commissioner of customs/commissioner of customs in charge of the seaport and airport concerned.

It will have the senior-most functionary of Food Safety Standards Authority of India/port health officer, plant quarantine and animal quarantine authorities, Drug Controller of India, Port Trust/Airport Authority of India/Custodians, and Railways/CONCOR, among others as its members.

The CCFC has been tasked with monitoring and ensuring speedy clearance of imported and export goods in accordance with the timeline. It has also been asked to identify and resolve bottlenecks, if any, in the clearance procedure.

The CCFC would meet once a week or more frequently, if considered necessary by the chair.

The government, in recent times, has taken a number of steps to create a more friendly business environment and trade facilitation, and setting up of the CCFC is a step in that direction.