Tiruchi Customs forms panels to ensure faster clearance for goods

In a move aimed at ensuring expeditious clearing of export and import goods and to synergise the operations of various agencies, the Tiruchi Customs has constituted a couple of Customs Clearance Facilitation Committees (CCFC) across its jurisdiction.

Encompassing multiple agencies, the committees have been constituted in Tiruchi and Nagapattinam / Cuddalore, which have international airport and sea ports respectively

The committees have been formed on the direction of the Government of India to create a robust environment for doing business easily and to facilitate trade. The Commissioner of Customs, Tiruchi, would head both the committees which would meet once in a month. Ensuring and monitoring the expeditious clearing of import and export of goods, identifying and resolving bottlenecks, if any, in the clearance process, and holding consultations for faster clearance of goods are among the primary objectives of the panels.

In Tiruchi, which is home to an international airport, the committee has Airports Authority of India and Immigration and Plant Quarantine authorities among its members.

Official sources said the Government of India had directed the formation of the CCFC in every major Customs seaport and airport.

Tiruchi is a key city from where export cargo is routed through air to various overseas destinations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, and Dubai every day.

Over 4,500 metric tonnes of cargo was dispatched from the Tiruchi international airport during the 2014-15 financial year.

The idea of forming the committee is to have an administrative mechanism in place in Tiruchi to facilitate trade in the region and ensure hassle-free export and import of goods, besides enhancing coordination among various agencies, Mr. K.C.Johny, Commissioner of Customs, Tiruchi, told The Hindu here.

The first meeting of the CCFC, held in Tiruchi on Wednesday, was headed by Mr.Jhony and was attended by representatives from the Airports Authority of India, Plant Quarantine, Karaikal and Nagapattinam Ports. The meeting set the tone for creating a platform to boost trade in Tiruchi region.