EICI facilitates MSME sector
Vijay Kumar, COO, Express Industry Council of India, highlights the role of EICI and how ECCS is beneficial for the MSME sector.
How ECCS is driving the Indian customs towards transparency, speed and efficiency in the customs clearing practice?
Express Cargo Clearance System is an EDI system for customs clearances of courier shipments. The system is a joint development of Indian Customs and industry body Express Industry Council of India (EICI). The primary objective of the system is to introduce expedited customs clearances for trade facilitation, transparency in governance as well as ensure regulatory compliances are met. ECCS is a totally paperless customs clearance process and dovetails with India’s commitment to lower carbon footprint.
How does this model work?
This project is a joint project of EICI and Indian Customs. The project is funded by EICI and the development of the module is controlled by Indian Customs. This is among the few government projects where a high degree of collaboration was undertaken between trade stakeholders and the government in developing a government system – leading to trade facilitation in its truest form as well as ensuring compliance requirements of the regulator. Due to high involvement of respective stakeholders the ECCS project has become a unique system among Custom administrations.
How are small and medium enterprises set to gain most from ECCS?
The major segment that express industry serves are from the micro, small and medium segment of the Indian economy. India’s micro exporters and importers almost exclusively rely on the express industry to fulfil their logistics needs to connect to global trade. With cross border e-commerce gaining strength, express delivery services provide an important linkage to our micro and small exporters and importers. Hence, with introduction of ECCS trade facilitation gets a major fillip. It also aligns closely with Government of India’s initiatives in ‘Ease of Doing Business’ as well as ‘Make in India’.
Would you like to throw some light on the hurdles being faced by importers and exporters and how is ECCS helping in reducing the same?
ECCS ensure transparency in government dealings leading to better governance.
ECCS ensures a 100 per cent paperless clearance environment.
ECCS ensures faster custom clearances leading to trade facilitation and improving the ease of doing business for the small and micro sector of the economy.
Other than MSME, which sectors are being aimed to get facilitated with ECCS?
All sectors having logistics needs and importers and exporters will benefit greatly from ECCS. The regulators will benefit because of better transparency and compliance.
With introduction of ECCS, trade facilitation gets a major fillip. It also aligns closely with Government of India’s initiatives