HYDERABAD: The Air Cargo Complex of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad has been selected out of 14 customs stations across the country to determine aggregate rankings in customs processing, informed MRR Reddy, Principal Commissioner of Secunderabad GST zone, who until recently headed the Hyderabad customs commissionerate.
He also said that there was a proposal to start an international courier terminal at the RGIA, which will be the fifth in the country after Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru. He added that it might become operational in the next two months.
Reddy informed that the process for the customs rankings was recently initiated. The customs department, along with Air Cargo Complex, Shamshabad and KPMG which has been appointed as a consultant will study the processes at different customs stations for the rankings, an important part of which will be the Cargo Release Time.
Observations for the rankings would be completed by September 7 and it would most probably be out before the end of this year, said Reddy. He pointed out that this exercise would also help towards improving India’s ranking internationally. Last year, the country was ranked 80 — a jump from previous 146 in the Trade Across Borders ranking. This time, the CBIC has set a target of achieving rank 50.
He also informed that an inter-ministerial committee in Delhi is looking into the demand for an ICD at Nizamabad.