BENGALURU: The Postal Department, in partnership with the Customs Department, has relaxed the process of exports by post, and has done away with the need to make a mandatory visit to the Foreign Post Office in Chamarajpet. It has introduced digital filing of customs documentation. Also, it has launched local offices in three cities for personal visits with two more in the offing.
Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka Circle, S Rajendra Kumar, told TNIE, “Commercial companies can now despatch retail orders to foreign countries through the Dak Ghar Niryath Kendras (or local head post offices) that have been set up in Channapatna, Dharwad and Belagavi. Two more offices will be set up in Bidar and Vijayapura.”
This will bring relief to businesses which had to physically visit the FPO in Belagavi or in Mysuru to get their consignment cleared, he said.
Though a trial run of the process was done some years ago, it did not receive enough publicity. “It has been launched completely in December. There is an online portal for digital filing of booking information and customs documentation. Exporters will be able to register and upload documents online without visiting the FPO,” he explained.
The proof of export order will also be available for download in the portal for the exporter to claim export benefits. “Exporters will benefit immensely from the move,” he said. Sajan Subramani, a customer at JP Nagar, who has been sending parcels to the US, said in a video statement, “I have been using the portal for sometime now. The overall experience starting from registration to booking of parcels has been good.”
This was a mutually-beneficial venture, the CPMG said. “Customers save time and money spent on travelling, and we are also getting more bookings because the process has been made easier,” he added.