The Biz Reporter
Srinagar, Jan 15:
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I) on Thursday organised an interactive session with senior officials of the Customs Department at the Chamber Office to discuss key issues confronting exporters from Jammu & Kashmir and to explore ways to facilitate smoother export operations from the region.
The interaction was attended by Mr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Commissioner, Customs Preventive Zone, Delhi; Mr. Alok Srivastava, Commissioner, Customs Preventive Commissionerate, Amritsar; Mr. Buddhi Prakash, Additional Commissioner, Customs Preventive Commissionerate, Amritsar; Mr. Puneet Gunawat, Joint Commissioner, Customs Preventive Commissionerate, Amritsar; and Mr. Purushottam Gupta, Assistant Commissioner, Customs Preventive Division, Jammu.
President, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Javid Ahmad Tenga, welcomed the Customs officials and appreciated their willingness to engage directly with exporters and industry stakeholders. The meeting was attended by members of the Executive Committee, past presidents of the Chamber, and a large number of exporter members.
In his address, Mr. Javid Ahmad Tenga highlighted major concerns faced by exporters, including drawback-related issues, procedural and compliance challenges, and the infrastructure deficit at Srinagar International Airport, particularly with regard to cargo handling facilities and operational constraints during adverse weather conditions. He stressed that these bottlenecks adversely affect the competitiveness of exports from Kashmir.
Outlining KCC&I’s vision, Mr. Javid Ahmad Tenga emphasised the need to substantially increase exports from the Kashmir region and said the Chamber aims to work towards doubling exports through improved infrastructure, facilitative Customs procedures, and supportive policy interventions. He underlined the urgent requirement to upgrade export infrastructure on a war-footing basis and reiterated KCC&I’s long-standing demand for the establishment of an Inland Container Depot (ICD) in the region.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, including Mr. Vishal Sharma, Chief Manager (Forex), J&K Bank, and Mr. Shabir Ahmad Reshi. The Bank officials shared the perspective of the banking sector on issues faced by exporters, particularly those relating to issuance of Electronic Bank Realisation Certificates (e-BRCs), timelines and procedural requirements, and requests for extension of export bills.
A dedicated question-and-answer session formed an important part of the interaction, during which exporters directly raised their operational and procedural concerns and sought clarifications from the Customs officials on issues relating to drawback processing, documentation requirements, cargo movement, and airport-related logistics.
Mr. Sanjay Gupta gave a patient hearing to the issues and queries raised by the exporters and assured that genuine concerns would be examined at appropriate levels.
Mr. Alok Srivastava reiterated the Customs Department’s commitment to trade facilitation and constructive engagement with stakeholders while ensuring regulatory compliance.
Mr. Rauf Ahmad Punjabi, Past President, KCC&I presented a vote of thanks and requested the Customs officials to organize an awareness workshop for exporters. The Chief Commissioner, Customs Preventive Zone, Delhi appreciated the suggestion of Mr. Punjabi and assured KCC&I that an awareness workshop will be organized in April at Srinagar.
