Zero Duty EPCG 1992-97

Ntfn 111       In exercise of the powers conferred
05.06.95       by sub-section (1) of section
                     25 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962), the Central Government, being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, hereby exempts goods as specified in the Table annexed hereto from whole of the duty of customs leviable thereon which is specified in the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975) and so much of the additional duty leviable thereon under section 3 of the said Customs Tariff Act, as is in excess of the amount calculated at the rate of 10% of the value of goods:

Provided that where the said goods are required for the manufacture of leather garments, textile garments (including knitwears), agro products and products of horticulture, floriculture and poultry, such goods shall be exempt from the whole of the additional duty leviable thereon under section 3 of the said Customs Tariff Act.

2. The exemption contained in paragraph 1, shall be subject to the following conditions, namely:-

(1) The goods imported are covered by a valid licence under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) Scheme in terms of Export and Import Policy (hereinafter referred to as the said policy) permitting import of goods free of duty and the said licence is produced for debit by the proper officer of the customs at the time of clearance;

[Provided that for the import of spare parts, the validity period of the licence shall be deemed to be the period permitted for fulfillment of the export obligation in full]. Inserted by 70/10.09.96

(2) The importer at the time of clearance products to the Assistant Commissioner of Customs, a certificate from the Licensing Authority having executed a legal undertaking in terms of paragraph 45 of the said policy; Omitted by 145/19.09.95

(3) The importer executes a bond in such form and for such sum and with such surety or security as may be specified by the Assistant Commissioner of Customs binding himself to fulfill export obligation equivalent to six times the CIF value of the goods imported on FOB basis, or four times of the CIF value on Net Foreign Exchange basis as specified in the licence, or for such higher sum as may be fixed by the Licensing Authority, within a period of eight years in the following proportions:-

SNo.

Period from the date of issue of licence

Proportion of total export obligation

1.

Block of 1st and 2nd year

NIL

2.

Block of 3rd and 4th year

15%

3.

Block of 5th and 6th year

35%

4.

Block of 7th and 8th year

50%

"Provided further that where a sick unit notified by the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) is subsequently taken over by another unit for revival, the export obligation may be fulfilled within a period of 12 years from the date of issue of license:

Provided also that export obligation of a particular block may be set off by the excess exports made in the said preceding block(s). [Substituted by 116/28.10.2002]

(4) The importer produces within 30 days from the expiry of each block of two years from the date of issue of licence from the second block or within such extended period as the Assistant Commissioner of Customs may allow, evidence to the satisfaction of the Assistant Commissioner of Customs showing the extent of export obligation fulfilled, and where the export obligation of any particular block of two years is not fulfilled in terms of the preceding condition, the importer shall within three months from the expiry of the said block pay duties of customs of an amount equal to that portion of duties leviable on the goods but for the exemption contained herein which bears the same proportion as the unfulfilled portion of the export obligation bears to the total export obligation together with interest at the rate of 15% per annum from the date of clearance of the goods. [Amended by 113/16.08.02]

(5) The importer, shall, if he fails to discharge a minimum of 25% of the export obligation prescribed for any particular block of two years for two consecutive blocks, be liable to pay forthwith, the whole of the duties of customs leviable on the goods imported but for the exemption contained in this notification together with interest at the rate of 15% per annum from the date of clearance of the goods.

(6) The importer shall, if he fails to import goods for a minimum value of twenty crores of rupees within the validity period of the import licence, be liable to pay forthwith the whole of the duties of customs leviable on the goods imported but for exemption contained in this notification together with interest at the rate of 24% per annum from the date of clearance of the goods;

(7) The capital goods imported, assembled or manufactured are installed in the importer’s factory or premises and a certificate from the jurisdictional Assistant Commissioner of Central Excise or independent Chartered Engineer, as the case may be, is produced confirming installation and use of capital goods in the importer’s factory or premises, within six months from the date of completion of imports or within such extended period as the said Assistant Commissioner of Customs may allow. [Condition No. 7 substituted by 42/30.06.98]

(8) Notwithstanding anything contained in conditions (4) and (5), where the Licensing Authority grants extension of block wise period for any block(s) or overall period of fulfilment of export obligation upto a period of two years or regularisation of shortfall in export obligation not exceeding 5 per cent of such export obligation, the said block wise period or overall period of export obligation may be extended and the said shortfall in export obligation be condoned by the Assistant Commissioner of Customs or Deputy Commissioner of Customs.

[Condition No. 8 substituted by 49/24.04.2002]

Provided that having overall export obligation period of 12 years extension of block wise period of export obligation shall not be allowed for more than one block of two years;

[Substituted by 116/28.10.2002]

Provided further that extension of block wise period of export obligation for the fourth block of two years shall not be allowed for a period of more than one year”.

Table

SNo

Description of Goods

1.

Capital goods

2.

Capital goods in SKD/CKD condition to be assembled into capital goods by the importer

3.

Components of capital goods required for assembly or manufacture of capital goods by the importer

4.

Spare parts including Jigs, Fixtures, Dies, Moulds not exceeding 20% of the value of goods specified at serial nos. 1, 2 and 3 as actually imported and required for maintenance of capital goods so imported, assembled or manufactured. [Amended by 08/23.04.98]

Explanation: in this notification,-

(1) “Capital goods” means any plant, machinery, equipment and accessories required for -

(a) manufacture of production of other goods, including packaging machinery and equipment, refractories, refrigeration equipment, power generating sets, machine tools, catalysts for initial charge, and equipment and instruments for testing, research and development, quality and pollution control;

(b) use in manufacturing, mining, agriculture, aquaculture, animal husbandry, floriculture, horticulture, pisciculture, poultry and sericulture;

(2) “Export and Import Policy” means the Export and Import Policy 1 April 1992 - 31 March 1997 (Revised Edition: March 1995) published vide notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Commerce, No. 1(RE-95)/92-97 dated the 31st March, 1995;

(3) “Licensing Authority” means the Director General, Foreign Trade appointed under section 6 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 (22 of 1992) or an officer authorised by him to grant a licence under the said Act;

(4) CIF value”, in relation to second hand capital goods, means the CIF value of the corresponding new capital goods; Omitted by 154/27.10.95

(5) “Export obligation” means-

(i) export to a place outside India of products manufactured with the use of capital goods imported, assembled or manufactured in terms of this notification; or making of supplies of such product in terms of clauses (a), (c), (e), (f) and (i) of paragraph 121 of the Export and Import Policy and para 10.2(g) of the Export and Import Policy 1997-2002 corrected upto 13th April, 1998; and

(ii) export of goods in terms of the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Department of commerce) No 28 (RE-2003)/2002-2007 dated 28th January 2004. [Sub-clause 5(ii) inserted by 29/28.01.2004]

(6) “Net foreign exchange” means FOB value of products exported in discharge of obligation in terms of this notification minus CIF value of inputs used in manufacture thereof where such inputs have been-

(a) imported by the importer directly;

(b) imported by another person and supplied to importer without undergoing any process of manufacture;

(c) procured indigenously, for which the importer claims replenishment under the Duty Exemption Scheme as contained in Chapter VI of the Export and Import Policy.

Notification History: Original No/date: 111/05.06.95

Amended by 146/19.09.95; 154/27.10.95; 32/17.06.96; 70/10.09.96; 96/19.12.96; 49/24.04.2002; 113/16.10.2002; 116/28.10.2002

70/16.09.97 – The notification to slaps a countervailing duty of 10 percent on EPCG imports applies only to the nil duty scheme which covers large size projects. The full exemption of countervailing duty on scheme for small size projects continues but for the special customs duty hike to five percent which will apply on these projects too. Further, projects for the manufacture of leather and textile garments along with agro industries have been excluded form the impost. Nonetheless, the Government hopes to mop up Rs 300 crores as additional duty revenue from the change. Quite a few large size projects are coming up in India targeted at both the local and global market. Now they will be forced to at least examine the option of looking at the Indian manufacture for sourcing supplies. 88/12.12.97; 08/23.04.98; 42/30.06.98

75/09.10.98 – Capital goods including jigs, fixture, dies and moulds have been omitted from the EPCG scheme concessional duty notifications. The concession is applicable only on spares import. [Condition No. 8 amended by 56/11.05.99]; 29/28.01.2004