Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty for Manufacture of Excisable Goods) Rules, Applicable to Service Tax
GOVERNMENT has amended the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty for Manufacture of Excisable Goods) Rules, 2016 to make the rules apply mutatis mutandis to a service provider.
These rules apply to an importer, being a manufacturer, who intends to avail the benefit of an exemption notification issued under sub-section (1) of section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962 and where the benefit of such exemption is dependent upon the use of imported goods covered by that notification for the manufacture of any excisable commodity.,
Now, they are made applicable to Service tax and any reference to the expressions manufacture, manufacturer, excise duty and factory in these rules shall be construed as service, service provider, service tax and registered premises respectively of a service provider.
The amending notification also makes a couple of other amendments -
+ In rule 5, in sub-rule (2) after the word, "surety", the words, "or security" are inserted. Actually, these words existed when the rules were originally framed by notification 32/2016-Cus(NT) dated 01.03.2016 but for some mysterious reasons were omitted by Notification 39/2016-Cus(NT) dated 15.03.2016. By the current amendment, they are back.
+ In rule 7, for the word, "three", wherever it occurs, the word, "six" shall be substituted. This amendment increases the time limit available to re-export or clear the unutilised or defective imported goods with permission, of course. Three months from the date of import was apparently too short a time, so it is increased to six months.
Notification No. ., Dated: July 14, 2016