FM confident of speedy clearance of cargo

Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said the Customs department has made fundamental changes both in the environment in which it works as well as in the way in which cargo is cleared.

Delivering his inaugural address at a global meet organised by World Customs Organisation, Chidambaram said: "Indian Customs have implemented an extensive automation programme that has made it possible for the trade to conduct a major part of its business with Customs from their home or offices. With increased use of risk management techniques and selective scrutiny of cargo, I am confident that soon Customs clearance will be done in a matter of hours rather than days and it will be possible for traders to interact with port and Customs officials only for the purpose of taking delivery of cargo."

At the meet where Custom officials from across the globe are deliberating on the issue of how effectively they can leverage information technology to streamline their processes, Chidambaram said: "Customs departments the world over have a dual role to play. One is of enforcement and the other of trade facilitator. By the very nature of its functions, the Customs' role is interventionist in international trade. Adoption of IT is one of the ways in which they can streamline their effectiveness."