Study to address cargo flow jams launched

To make doing business easy, the central government has launched India's first national 'Time Release Study'. The study, to be conducted between August 1 and August 7, will enable faster movement of cargo across borders and benefit traders.

The study will measure "rule-based and procedural bottlenecks" in clearance of goods, from the time of arrival to physical release.

"The exercise will be conducted across 15 sea, air and land ports, which cumulatively account for 81 per cent of total 'Bills of Entries' for import and 67 per cent of 'Shipping Bills' for export filed within India," Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

"The study will establish baseline performance measurement, and standardised operations and procedures across all ports," it said.

The study is an internationally recognised tool, advocated by the World Customs Organisation, to measure efficiency and effectiveness of international trade flows.

"The aim is to identify and address bottlenecks in the trade flow and take the policy and operational measures required to improve effectiveness and efficiency of border procedures, without compromising efficient trade control," the ministry said. 

Expected beneficiaries of this initiative will be export-oriented industries and MSMEs, which will enjoy greater standardisation of Indian processes with comparable international standards. IANS