Airlines to give international traveller data to Customs

In News: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) issued a gazette notification titled ‘Passenger Name Record Information Regulations, 2022’.

• As per the notification, aircraft operators are now required to share all travel-related information about passengers who are going to travel in and out of India at least 24 hours before their flight departure time.
• This information will have to be shared with CBIC established agency, National Customs Targeting Centre – Passenger (NCTC-P) for conducting of “risk analysis of passengers”.
• Operators not providing this data can be fined a minimum of Rs 25,000.
• The passenger details will include details such as PNR, passport number, date of birth, travel agency/travel agent, etc.
• The information received will be subject to the strict information privacy and protection in accordance with the provisions of any law for the time being in force.

Purpose

• Such information is needed for prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of offences under the Customs Act and also for the law enforcement agencies or government departments or any other country.
• It will also help to prevent bank loan defaulters from fleeing the country to avoid prosecution.
• According to information furnished by the government in Parliament, a total of 38 economic offenders, including Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya and Mehul Choksi, fled the country in the last five years.

Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC):

• Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance.
• CBIC is a statutory body established under the Central Boards of Revenue Act, 1963.
• CBIC was formed in 1964 when the Central Board of Revenue was split into the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Excise and Customs, which was renamed the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs in 2018.
• The Chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs is appointed by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
• The Board is the administrative authority for its subordinate organizations, including Custom Houses, Central Excise and Central GST Commissionerate’s and the Central Revenues Control Laboratory.

Functions performed by the CBIC include:

• Formulation of policy concerning levy and collection of Customs, Central Excise duties, Central Goods & Services Tax and IGST,
• Prevention of smuggling.
• Administration of matters relating to Customs, Central Excise, Central Goods & Services Tax, IGST and Narcotics to the extent under CBIC’s purview.

Source: The Hindu