Nagpur: A classic case of putting cart before horses is the Custom Processing Area (CPA) of Mihan-SEZ. Officially notified as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in 2007, it does not have a CPA, which is the official entry point of the region even after almost 14 years.
Developer Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) has already started construction of CPA 4 to 5 months back even the infrastructure is not ready yet.
Sources said that CPA is the basic requirement for the operation of any SEZ and is the first step. It is the official entrance to the area, the rest of which is to be demarcated by a boundary wall. At this point all goods entering and leaving the SEZ are checked and valued in terms of value.
The purpose behind having a single entry and exit point is to prevent theft of goods and ensure proper accounting. There is a possibility that a company may show output from outside its unit and claim the same to be done in SEZ to get tax benefits.
All goods entering and leaving the SEZ are first checked at the entry point where Customs Offices usually are located. Carrying of physical goods in or out is permitted only after a thorough assessment upon entry.
Sources in the Development Commissioner (DC) office say, it goes without saying that a CPA should have been created in the very beginning. Standard specifications of CPA are readily available. For this, a cabin, washroom, visitors area, canteen, record room and CCTV control room are needed for officers, a source said.
Presently Customs officers are housed in the administrative building of MADC. At the time of clearance, the units inform them and the customs staff complete the formalities accordingly.
A MADC official handling the issue said they are waiting for the customs department to provide the design and requirement for the CPA. Upon receipt of this, MADC will appoint a consultant for the process.
On the delay in the creation of Customs Examination Area (CEA), the MADC official said that in 2019 itself, the company was asked by Customs to form a CPA.
The matter related to CPA has also been taken up by the Development Commissioner (DC). “The CPA, which should have been set up earlier, is now being made after so many years. We have taken up the matter with MADC and every time the response is not very satisfactory,” said Shraman Vasireddy.
Little progress has been made on the site, and customs officers, whose office should be at the entrance, are now in the administrative block. MADC is constructing a road up to the proposed service road that will connect the SEZ with the outer ring road from Kothewada side. It is not clear which agency will build the service road – whether it is MADC or the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), he said.
The MADC official on the service road said that a request has been made to NHAI.
At present, the goods pass through a toll gate which has temporary facilities. The area of about 1.5 km also does not have boundary wall to facilitate the movement of outsiders, said the DC.
in short
All goods entering and leaving the SEZ are cleared through the Customs Examination Area (CEA).
CEA has offices of customs and other facilities to examine goods
Presently the Customs Officers are housed in the Administrative Block of MADC
Clearance formalities take place on intimation by units
MADC says it was asked to form CEA in 2019 itself
CEA should have come first: Development Commissioner
FacebookTwitterLinkedinE-mail
.