New Delhi: The CBIC has streamlined certain processes in Customs faceless assessment under which a customs officer would have to communicate his 'first decision' on the import document filed by an importer within three working hours.
In a circular to all Principal Chief Commissioners of Customs, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said it has reviewed the implementation of Faceless Assessment and deliberated on the further measures required for expediting the pace of assessment and Customs clearance of imported goods.
The CBIC said that by and large the objectives of Faceless Assessment, which was rolled out pan-India on October 31, 2020, in terms of expeditious assessments, anonymity in assessments and uniformity in assessments have been met.
"However, Board observes that there is even now scope for improvement which would potentially lead to a substantial increase in the pace of assessments and Customs clearance, while further enhancing the uniformity in assessments and anonymity with a view to reduce interface with the trade," the circular said. With regard to expediting assessment process, the CBIC said that "the working hours of all FAGs shall be uniform from 10 AM till 8 PM on any working day."
Observing that at present, the working hours of the FAGs across the country are not uniform, the CBIC said there is uneven output such that some officers of a FAG who begin work earlier clear more than the targeted Bills of Entry while others whose working hours begin later do not get sufficient number of Bills of Entry.