New Customs Declaration form to be filled from January 1, 2014
YESTERDAY, PTI carried the following news item -
New customs form for Indians, foreigners from Jan 1
New Delhi: All passengers coming to India will be filling up an ''Indian Customs Declaration Form'' seek details that will be different from the detachable perforated strip which is part of the immigration card at the moment.
And all the news portals started flashing the same and the newspapers followed suit today.
DDT too received a few calls and mails asking as to why we had not reported this important news.
DDT would like to inform that the PTI news item is only a reminder to "all the passengers coming to India" that the new Customs Declaration form would be required to be filled from January, 1, 2014.
In fact, this is warranted in terms of the Customs Notification dated August 29, 2013 by which the Customs Baggage Declaration Regulations, 2013 have been framed and which regulations are to come into effect from January 1, 2014.
Please visit dated 03.09.2013 wherein we had carried a detailed story on the issue.
Yesterday afternoon too, the PTI carried the following new item -
New customs form for passengers coming to India
New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) All passengers coming to India will have to fill in a new detailed customs form on their arrival from tomorrow.
It will help authorities check duty frauds and cases of under-valuation as well keep a record of gold jewellery and bullion being brought into the country.
Also from January 1, Indian citizens will have to fill up immigration form only when they go out.
We felt that this was just another reminder to passengers who would be reaching India at the break of dawn after their New Year party abroad.
Ironically, at the time when this news was being flashed by the Press Trust of India yesterday, the CBEC had uploaded on its website a new notification dated 30th December, 2013 by which -
2. In regulation 2 of the Customs Baggage Declaration Regulations, 2013, for the figures, letters and word “ 1st January, 2014 ”, the figures, letters and word “ 1st March, 2014 ” shall be substituted.
So, the fact of the matter is that there is no need to worry for the passengers coming to India. The new baggage declaration forms are to be filed from 1st March, 2014, at least as of now!
Notification , dated December 30, 2013.