The Maharashtra Customs Authority issued the Public Notice for utilisation of MEIS scrip for import in absence of mandatory recording of transfer details facility on DGFT website.
DGFT phased out physical copies of MEIS and SEIS duty credit Scrip issued with EDI port as port of registration from April 10, 2019. A facility has been created on DGFT website for mandatory recording of information about transfer of ownership of MEIS/SEIS scrips. Verification of ownership of MEIS/SEIS duty credit scrips shall be checked by the customs officers from the DGFT website as per the said facility.
It has been informed by the trade that the facility of recording of transfer and ownership details of MEIS scrip is not functional on the DGFT website for some time now.
In order to facilitate the trade in the interregnum period, till the said facility is restored on the DGFT website, as a temporary measure, the procedure is prescribed for an importer intending to utilize the MEIS Scrip for payment of customs duty.
To begin with, the importer (the present owner/holder of MEIS scrip) shall submit the document evidencing the transfer of the scrip by the previous holder/owner along with all the previous transfer documents starting from the original owner of the scrip. The transfer document shall bear the name and signature of the transferor/his authorized signatory and these details shall be certified by the bank in which the transferor is having account.
In addition, he shall also submit the payment transaction details of purchase of the scrip as recorded in the books of account, duly certified by an independent Chartered Accountant. In case the payment is made through a bank transaction, the said transaction details certified by him/his authorised signatory will be submitted.
Furthermore, Indemnity letter from the present holder (Importer)and his seller indemnifying the Customs from any liability arising on account of misuse/ fraudulent use of the MEIS scrip or use of fraudulently obtained MEIS scrip, in the prescribed format.
In conclusion, the importer/ customs broker will upload these documents in E – Sanchit.
“It is the responsibility of the Importer to ensure to submit valid MEIS Scrip, obtained through genuine transactions and any ownership dispute arising out of the transactions will be the sole responsibility of the importer and seller(s) of the scrip,” the Authority in the public notice said.
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