Some of the Important Announcements made by the DGFT, Government of India during May, 2003

Vide Public Notice No.07 dated 9th May, 2003, the procedure for import of Milk Powder, Maize, Crude Sunflower Seeds or Oil or fractions and refined rape, Colza or mustered oil has been notified for allocation under tariff rate quota.
Vide Public Notice No.08 dated 14th May 2003, some of the amendments made in Hand Book of Procedures Vol. I. are as under:
- Para 2.9.5 of HBP has been amended by which those IEC holder who have obtain IEC in the preceding licensing year i.e. 1.4.2002 to 31.3.2003 have been barred for furnishing yearly details of imports and exports. Further, inoperative IEC may be reactivated upon furnishing a fee of Rs.500/- to the Regional Licensing Authority as per the said Public Notice.
- In respect of exporters having their head office/registered office in the State of Orissa, RCMC may be obtained from FIEO in Bhubaneshwar irrespective of the product being exported by them
- Hotels having approval as 3-star and above category by the Department of Tourism, Govt. of India will only be eligible for duty free imports equivalent to 5% of the average foreign exchange earning during the preceding three licensing years.
- Where ALC has already rectified the norms for the same import export products in respect of a licence obtained under Para 4.7, such norms will be valid for the period of 6 months from the date of the application and the licence holders in such cases will be entitled for further licences as per the norms rectified by ALC without the need for subsequent rectification.
Vide Public Notice No.09/(RE-2003) 2002-07 dated 22nd May 2003, amendments have been made in the HBP Vol. I. Some of the important announcements made are as under:
1. Interest would be charged @ 15% on Customs duty payable on unutilized material. This facility will be available to all pending cases of regularization of bonafide default advance licences irrespective of the date of its issuance including Advance Licence (Advance Licence for physical exports), Annual Advance Licence (Advance Licence for annual requirement), Advance Licence for deemed exports (special Imprest Licence), Advance Licence for Intermediate supply (Intermediate licence).
  
  Similarly, interest @ 15% will be charged wherever customs duty is to be paid under EPCG scheme, on account of shortfall in export obligation for regularization for bonafide default. This facility will be available to all pending cases of regularization of EPCG licences irrespective of the date of its issuance.
2. In respect of EPCG licences issued under Customs notification No.119/95 dated 5.6.1995, the licence holder will be eligible for extension of EO period upto 31.3.2004 provided the licence holder who has failed to complete his export obligation within the earlier stipulated time period, applies for extension of export obligation period and submits a bank guarantee covering the Customs duty in proportion to the unfulfilled export obligation together with 15% simple interest thereon from the date of import upto 30th September, 2004. Such bank guarantee will be valid usdpto 31.3.2005.
Vide Public Notice No.11 dated 30th May 2003 procedure for application for DEPB, in case of supplies to SEZ, has been announced.
Vide Notification No.9 dated 9th May 2003 all quantitative restrictions for export of all varieties of onions have been removed.
Vide Notification No.10 dated 22nd May, 2003 all industry rates of duty drawback of Rs.925 per M.T. for furnace oil supply to EOUs/EPZs/SEZs under Deemed Exports scheme, has been announced.
Import of beverages, spirits and vinegar covered under Chapter 22 of the ITC (HS) Classification or sea foods items, would be permitted under duty free entitlement for service providers as clarified vide Policy Circular No. 4 dated 14.5.03. On the other hand, import of car would be permitted under this duty free entitlement only for hotels, tour operators and tourist transport operators.
Vide Policy Circular No. 5 dated 29.5.03, Council for Leather Exports, Chennai, has been nominated as certifying agency to issue certificates to its members to facilitate clearance of import consignments of textile items for manufacture of leather export products.