The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has rolled out a comprehensive reform package aimed at enhancing trade facilitation, transparency, and efficiency. The latest Master Circular consolidates and supersedes earlier guidelines, redefining the roles and responsibilities of Permanent Trade Facilitation Committees (PTFCs) and Customs Clearance Facilitation Committees (CCFCs).
This reform comes against the backdrop of evolving trade patterns, increased reliance on digital platforms, and the growing demand for measurable service delivery standards.
Key Highlights
- Revamped Meeting Structure
- PTFCs: To convene fortnightly.
- CCFCs: To convene once every two months.
This ensures more frequent engagement with stakeholders, enabling quicker resolution of trade issues.
- Expanded Composition of Committees
- PTFCs: Now include representatives from DGFT, custodians, PGAs, shipping lines, logistics providers, trade councils, and Customs Brokers, in addition to existing trade members.
- CCFCs: Expanded to include officials from Ministries of Shipping, Railways, Highways, Civil Aviation, along with DG Systems (ICES/ICEGATE), NCTC, and Directorate of Logistics.
This broader representation ensures better inter-agency coordination and systemic improvements.
- Revised Terms of Reference (ToR)
Both PTFCs and CCFCs will now focus on:
- Timely grievance redressal and bottleneck removal.
- Monitoring of digital grievance tools such as AEM, TSKs, and ICEGATE helpdesk.
- Escalation of unresolved issues to NACs (National Assessment Centres).
- Strengthened Grievance Redressal Mechanisms
- Anonymised Escalation Mechanism (AEM):
Allows ICEGATE-registered users to file online grievances linked to Bills of Entry. Grievances are anonymised and tracked in real time. AEM is being revamped by DG Systems to include improved MIS dashboards for senior Customs management. - Turant Suvidha Kendras (TSKs):
Serve as the physical interface for faceless assessment. Officers at TSKs will proactively assist trade participants in resolving delays, with a new digital portal under development to track grievance resolution. - National Assessment Centres (NACs):
Responsible for monitoring non-uniformities in assessments, addressing systemic issues, and conducting sectoral consultations every fortnight. Each NAC will also have a dedicated grievance cell to track cases pending beyond two days and ensure uniform assessment practices.
- Monitoring Social Media & Email Grievances
CBIC recognises that many grievances are now being raised via social media platforms (e.g., X) and email. Each Customs zone will establish a dedicated mechanism to monitor these, with:
- Unique reference numbers for acknowledgment.
- Time-bound resolution.
- Frequently raised issues to be included in CCFC agendas.
- Escalation to Higher Forums
- Local issues must be resolved at PTFC/CCFC level in consultation with relevant PGAs and trade bodies.
- Only policy-level or pan-India issues should be escalated to the Customs Consultative Group (CCG) for broader deliberation.
- Stakeholder Sensitisation
Principal Chief Commissioners and Chief Commissioners have been instructed to:
- Issue Trade/Public Notices to inform stakeholders.
- Reinforce consultative mechanisms.
- Disseminate updates on TSKs and NACs.
Conclusion
The new Master Circular is a forward-looking reform by CBIC, designed to create a more transparent, responsive, and digitised Customs ecosystem. By strengthening PTFCs, CCFCs, and grievance redressal mechanisms, CBIC is taking a significant step towards aligning Customs processes with India’s national trade facilitation objectives.
Notification Reference: Customs
Circular No. 21/2025-Customs
12 /09/2025