Govt lists measures to ease compliance process for exporters

The ministry of commerce has provided a comprehensive list of initiatives taken to bring transparency so as to make compliance with procedures and guidelines easy for exporters, and to facilitate exports, especially for small and medium businesses.

Towards this, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the ministry of commerce and industry, has streamlined and simplified foreign trade procedures. Exporters can now seamlessly use the DGFT portal for online application and approval for benefits like Advance Authorisation, Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG), and Status Holder certification, according to a commerce ministry release.

The DGFT portal is integrated with the Indian Customs and Central Excise Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange (EC/EDI) Gateway (ICEGATE), which caters to shippers and exporters through e-filing services. It also facilitates several other online services, including electronic filing of Bill of Entry and Shipping Bill. ICEGATE also offers round-the-clock services like:

* Online registering for IPR

* Verificayion of IE code status

* Document status tracking at Customs EDI

* E-payment of custom duties

* Refund of IGST

* Online verification of DES/DEPB/EPCG licences

* Data search using PAN and

* Links to Customs-related websites

The portal also connects other portals like the GST Network (GSTN) and Public Finance Management System (PFMS) of the Controller General of Accounts of the finance ministry as well as the ministry of corporate affairs, for efficient data validation and processing.

DGFT has revamped the self-certification mechanism for digitised Bank Registration Certificate (eBRC), and the digitised e-Certificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 system, to facilitate real-time authentication and issuance of QR code and Aadhaar-based e-signatures. It also helps to improve service delivery by connecting exporters with issuing agencies and chambers of commerce.

The commerce ministry’s Trade Connect ePlatform (https://www.trade.gov.in/) serves as a one-stop interface for addressing issues related to trade and market access. It provides information on trade agreements and tariffs to assess FTA benefits, market guide for products, compliance requirements, insights on global e-commerce and information on global trade events. It also provides learning modules like EXIM Paathshaala, expert guidance on resolving trade issues as also services related to sourcing from India and foreign buyers.

The system ensures real-time grievance handling, direct access to officers, and promotes transparency through audit trails.

Further, under Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023, the government has reduced application fee for small businesses, third-party exporters, and merchant exporters besides taking measures to assist MSMEs applying for benefits under export promotion schemes like Advance Authorisation and Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG).

DGFT has introduced the Niryat Bandhu Scheme to provide expert guidance, mentorship, and handholding to empower new and small exporters. All these initiatives have enhanced accessibility for exporters while reducing procedural burden.