The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has vide Policy Circular No. 48 (RE-2005)/2004-2009 dated 10th Febraury 2006 has made the system for remitting licence fee through Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) optional till 31st March 2006.

Exporter can remit the licence fees either through EFT payment gateway on the DGFT Website (http://www.dgft.gov.in ) or submit the licence fees through a Treasure Challan / Demand Draft.

It is also clarified that mandatory electronic submission with digital signatures is being continued for the following categories of applications: Advance Licence (excluding Para 4.7 and DFRC applications), Advance Licence for Annual Requirement, EPCG Licence and DEPB Licence (for EDI shipping bills). Applications with digital signatures and EFT payment will be eligible for a 50% fee concession, while applications with only digital signatures will be eligible for a 25% fee concession (and licence fees being paid through Treasury Challan / Demand Draft).

The earlier system of filing ECOM applications on the DGFT website for manual shipping bills from notified EDI ports is re-introduced. Hence, no manual DEPB applications will be allowed. Similarly, for DEPB claims based on manual DEPB shipping bills from non-EDI ports, only ECOM applications on DGFT website will be allowed; and no manual DEPB appplications will be allowed. Thus, an exporter will have to submit an ECOM application on the DGFT website with a digital signature and has the option to pay the licence fee either through EFT or Treasury Challan / Demand Draft. (More details of the documents and procedures is specified in the notification).

This is effective from 1st April, 2006. Trade and industry has been requested to have all necessary formalities for operationalising this completed before that.

Quick Links:
Policy Circular No. 48(RE-2005)/2004-2009, Policy Circular No. 44 (RE-2005)/2004-2009, Policy Circular No.   28  (RE-2005)/2004-2009, Policy Circular No.   21  (RE-2005)/2004-2009.