Simplified customs procedures planned for exports through India Post

The Customs Department is planning to introduce new simplified procedures for exports through India Post to cater to the small and medium enterprises, the government said on Saturday.

It said that during a joint conference organised by Indian Customs and Department of India Posts on Friday, leading e-commerce company Amazon and logistics market leader DHL made presentations on global best practices and identifying bottlenecks faced by exporters in India.

"One of the major bottlenecks in the postal system is the absence of professional logistics companies which can facilitate SMEs going global through online presence and leaving postal logistics to third parties," a statement said.

Chief Commissioner of Customs Sunil Sawhney said that improvement in infrastructure at Foreign Post Offices and leveraging strengths of postal department's pan-India outreach can unlock massive export potential.

"In order to cater to the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and what may come as a major boost to the Make in India program, Customs are proposing new simplified procedures for exports through India Post," the statement said.

Customs is planning several initiatives on the back of introducing non-intrusive technologies like x-ray scanning at Foreign Post Offices to expedite release of goods, it said.

"These measures are also likely to control smuggling of narcotics, as evidenced from the recent seizure of 300,000 tablets of psychotropic substances," it added.

In order to strengthen law enforcement, Customs will scan mail bags at the airports itself for identifying suspect consignments and contraband items.

--IANS

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