Tirupur: Expressing worry over the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) conducting examination of all export goods instead of random samples at ports, the Apparel Export Promotion Council (Aepc) has written to the board to ease the process. 

With more than 2,500 apparel industrial units, Tirupur cluster exports goods worth more than Rs 70crore a day. The goods are shipped mostly through the Thoothukudi port and Kochi port. CBIC authorities examine the goods to ensure that only legal materials are exported. 

It is usual for CBIC authorities to scrutinise the goods by drawing random samples from every consignment. But in the recent weeks, they have started examining all the goods. 

Apparel exporters say the situation is forcing them to repack the examined goods and also causing delay in shipping. 

Aepc acting chairman A Sakthivel requested CBIC to exempt the exporters from 100% mandatory examination of export consignments. “While the apparel industry is already facing difficulty, it is adding more burden. So, we request CBIC to turn again towards 2% to 3% scrutiny of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) and other status holder. The random sample scrutiny may be done to avoid such delay,” he said. 

But a senior CBIC official in Tirupur justified the move. “The situation was not voluntarily brought on by the board but was forced by the exporters. We noticed numerous exporters shipping banned goods and many others involving in frauds to claim benefits given to the export businesses without sending goods or exaggerating value of the goods,” he told TOI. “For instance, at a port in Mumbai, exporters were caught shipping red sanders, whose trade was banned. So, the Central government put pressure on the board and sacked many officials.” 

Published On : 24-06-2019

Source : Times of India