KOZHIKODE:The port department officials and port advisory council members, on Thursday, held discussions with Joint Commissioner of Customs and other officers regarding customs clearance to Beypore Port. During the meeting, the customs officials decided to give nod to the Beypore port authorities to make use of the Electronic Data Interchange unit at Karipur for customs clearance to containers reaching Beypore.
The Customs officials from Kochi directed the Port officials and Port Advisory Council Members to complete the work of EDI before February 28, 2019. The Port authorities will be able to use the EDI facility at Karipur till February 28. “The officials have assured us that they would publish the notice in a couple of days,” said Munshid Ali, member of Port Advisory Council who attended the meeting at Karipur Customs Office. We would be able to import containers from China and other countries using this temporary facility, he added.
The port officials have been holding discussions regarding the possibilities for temporary sanction for using the EID installed at Karipur airport for the foreign vessels reaching Beypore port. While the physical examination of the vessel would be conducted by the customs officials at Beypore, the electronic data interchange and electronic billing would be done at Karipur. The Port Department had recently sanctioned Rs 45 lakh for the installation of the EID at Beypore and Azheekkal ports, two minor ports in the Malabar. The amount earmarked for Beypore port is Rs 22.5 lakh.
The Port authorities are now planning to start the work of the EDI at the earliest to complete the work in two and half months. Installation of EDI is mandatory for getting customs clearance for the port. Currently, only domestic vessels are permitted at Beypore and other minor ports in the state as the ports lack EDI unit. Customs clearance to Beypore port is expected to boost trade through the port as many business persons from Malabar are now depending on Cochin, Coimbatore and Chennai ports for importing goods.
