Better show by JNPT helps Customs cross Fy17 mop-up target

Net revenue collection from the Mumbai Customs Zone-II, which is the largest of the three zones in the city, crossed the target at Rs 48,700 crore in fiscal 2017, driven by an increase in direct port delivery (DPD), a top official has said.
In fact, net revenue collection at Rs 48,700 crore is 2 per cent above the target given to it at Rs 48,000 crore.
"Net revenue collections from the Mumbai Customs Zone-II rose 5.8 per cent to Rs 48,700 crore in fiscal 2017 from Rs 46,000 crore in the previous fiscal," chief Customs commissioner, Mumbai Zone-II, Joseph John told PTI.

In fact, Mumbai Zone-II comprising the Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Raigad district across the eastern waters off the city, is the largest in the country. It is now targeting to achieve the Rs 50,000-crore mark this financial year.
It can be noted that JNPT is the largest container terminal in the country. The zone contributes as much as 24 per cent of the national Customs duty collection.
"Though government has not yet set a target for us for the current year, we are looking crossing the Rs 50,000-crore mark this year," Joseph said on the outlook of revenue collection from this region.

Total duty drawback given from the zone during the year gone by was at Rs 8,000 crore.

Joseph said the Rs 8,000-crore drawback during the year was however lower than last year's Rs 9,000 crore.
Direct port delivery, which became effective last year with the JNPT at Nhava Sheva near here, entails the delivery of a shipment from the port to the consignee instead of initially holding it at a container freight station.
DPD rose 5-6 per cent during the year under observation and "we are planning to increase this to 30 per cent in the current year," Joseph said.

In fiscal 2017, the DPD volume increased 85 per cent to 1,27,925 TEUs (twenty-foot-equivalent units) in fiscal from 68,925 TEUs a year ago.
Net Customs duty collections in fiscal 2017 came in at Rs 2.26 trillion from Rs 2.10 trillion a year ago, registering a growth of 7.4 per cent.
Led by the JNPT, for the first time the domestic ports handled more than 1 billion mt of cargo in the reporting year.