As part of the Government’s initiatives for improving the Ease of Doing Business, several facilitation measures are being taken by the Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) in last two years. In line with the budget announcement made by the Union Finance Minister and as part of the Ease of Doing Business initiatives, the CBEC launched the Customs’ SWIFT (Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade) Clearances Project with effect from 1st April, 2016.
SWIFT will help India to improve its ranking in World Bank’s ‘Doing Business Report 2016’. India now ranks 130 out of 189 countries in Ease of Doing Business, moving-up four places from last year’s adjusted ranking of 134.
The Customs’ SWIFT enables importers/exporters to file a common electronic ‘Integrated Declaration’ on the Indian Customs Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange (EC/EDI) Gateway i.e. ICEGATE portal. The Integrated Declaration compiles the information requirements of Customs, FSSAI, Plant Quarantine, Animal Quarantine, Drug Controller, Wild Life Control Bureau and Textile Committee. It replaces nine separate forms required by these 6 different agencies and Customs.