Glitches in the customs IT system have affected several shipments that have been stuck at Indian ports leading to importers paying heavy demurrage charges reportedly.
Shipments Stuck On Indian Ports
With all these events, shipments worth Rs 3,000-5,000 crore are stuck pan India, as per the trade reports.
While talking about the incident, importers have alleged that the duty payment option on the ICEGATE system is still not functioning properly.
This has affected the importer as they have paid heavy demurrage charges to the tune of around Rs 500-700 crore, since April 1.
Glitches In IT Systems
On the same day, the customs department had launched a new updated IT system for payment of duty by importers, including an electronic cash ledger payment system aimed at ensuring ease of doing business.
Meanwhile, importers claim that they are facing issues in making payments through the ICEGATE system.
In order to dissipate the situation, the customs authorities have started manual clearance of goods to facilitate trade.
In the meantime, customs officials are holding pan-India interactions with trade to address concerns and issues related to the IT system glitches.
With this upgrade, the government has been focusing on easing regulatory processes and improving trade facilitation to boost the country’s economy.
But, it seems that this current situation with the customs IT system is likely to have a negative impact on trade, as importers continue to face difficulties in clearing their shipments.
