OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS
PUBLIC NOTICE No. 12/2000 Dated 18.8.2000
Sub: Introduction of Permanent Account Number (PAN) as The Common Business
Identifier in Customs operations.
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Attention of all Importers, Exporters and CHAs, is invited to the fact that Permanent Account Number i.e. PAN (issued by the Income Tax Department) will be used as the Common Business Identifier for all Importer and Exporters and only the validated directory received from DGFT containing PAN and IE code of the importers and exporters will be used. In this connection, attention is also invited to the fact that DGFT had issued several Public Notices calling upon all importers and exporters to apply for and get their PAN issued by the Income Tax Department and register with DGFT (PN 39(RE-99)/1997-2002 dated 16.11.99 refers) also referred to vide Public Notice No. 9/99 dated 30.12.99 of this office issued vide file No. C-12/15/99 Cus.Stat.
2. As part of a facilitation measure, the use of PAN as the Common Business Identifier will be for import purpose only. Use of PAN for export purpose will also be implemented.
3.
For this purpose, attention of the trade is invited to the
following:
a) All importers and exporters must ensure that they have submitted their PAN particulars to DGFT in response to the Public Notice issued by them. Only the DGFT directory of Importers and Exporters containing their PSN will be used by the Custom EDI system and any importer or exporter not figuring in the DGFT directory will not be able to transact his/her business with Customs.
b) All importers and exporters who have as yet not applied to the Income Tax Authorities for allotment of PSN or if allotted, not yet registered with DGFT are advised to do so immediately.
c) All importers and exporters must ensure that PAN and IE code are entered in the documents being filed in the service center The system will not accept any document without the PAN being indicated.
d) The trade is also advised that while indicating the name and address/es of the importer/exporter care must be taken to ensure that these particulars tally in all respects with those declared to the DGFT, otherwise the systems will not recognize the importer/exporter.
e) .Exporters having their bank accounts in the designated Bank, for crediting of drawback, must ensure that their declaration to the bank containing particulars of PSN, IE code, name and address/es, branch codes of their office are the same in all respects as those declared to the Income Tax Department and DGFT so as to prevent any mismatch of information which may result in non-credit or wrong credit of the drawback amount.
f) Only those bank account numbers which have been validated vis-à-vis the data received from DGFT will be treated as operational accounts. Account numbers not matched with the DGFT Directory information will be rendered inoperative.
4. The date from which use of the DGFT Validated Directory for Customs operations will come into operation will be intimated in due course. However, Importers, Exporters and CHAs are advised to complete all the formalities as per this Public Notice immediately.
(P. KARTHIKEYAN)
COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS