KOCHI: The Customs department on Tuesday issued a fresh notification exempting customs duty and other integrated taxes to imported goods intended as donations for the relief and rehabilitation of people affected by floods in Kerala. This exemption is in addition to the already existing exemption as per a notification that customs duty and IGST should not be levied on goods imported for relief and rehabilitation activities.
Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said the notification was brought by the central government as relief goods are arriving from abroad. “With the issuance of this notification, any person can import the goods falling under the first schedule of the Customs Tariff Act, duty-free on their importation,” he said.
The intended importer has to mention in the relevant import documents that goods are intended to be donated for the relief and rehabilitation of the people affected by the flood in Kerala. The imported goods are to be sent to the relief agencies duly approved by the central government or the state government. Similarly, a certificate from the District Magistrate of the affected area that imported goods have been donated for use for the flood relief has to be produced before the customs within six months from the date of import. The exemption will be valid till December 31.
Customs commissioner ruled out reports that consignments arrived at Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode airports are stuck due to non-payment of duty. “Even before issuance of the new notification, we were providing duty exemption by an existing notification for the goods meant for flood-hit areas. We have found that seven consignments arrived till Monday and four were cleared. Three are yet to file the related documents,” he said.