Customs - Ease of Doing Business - Electronic Delivery Orders
BEFORE Importers or their Customs Brokers are allowed to pick up their import cargo, they are required to pay the Shipping Line/Airline or Console Agent, the freight and Delivery Order Charges (or D.O. charges). Once these charges are collected, the latter will in turn send to the Custodian the Delivery Order while also advising the importer or the Customs Broker of the issuance of the Delivery Order.
Traditionally, Airline and Shipping Lines have allowed the pick-up of import cargo by conveying a paper-based Delivery Order in a format acceptable to the Custodian. The importer or his Customs Broker visits the counter of the Shipping Line/Airline or Consol Agent, pays the 'D.O. Charges, collects a paper copy of the Delivery Order, and hand carries it to the office of the Custodian.
Recently, however, steps have been taken by some Shipping Lines and Airlines in co-operation with Custodians to provide the Delivery Order electronically in mutually agreed formats, allowing the entire process to be completed electronically, without the importer or his Customs Broker having to visit either office.
The CBEC clarifies that the introduction of electronic Delivery Order or electronic Payment of D.O. Charges do not change any of the current Customs procedures. Besides, all other procedures followed by the Custodians, i.e., due diligence involved in the verification of the Delivery Orders, obtaining 'Out of Charge' from Customs, and issuance of 'Gate Pass', etc will continue.
CBEC wants the Chief Commissioners to play the role of facilitators to encourage the implementation of electronic Delivery Order. Board wants all Customs formations to take necessary steps to bring the stakeholders together in order to encourage the implementation of electronic transmission of Delivery Orders.
CBEC Circular No. 24/2015., Dated October 14 2015