Srinagar, Sep 23: President, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Javid Ahmad Tenga on Saturday expressed shock over the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) notice by virtue of which the Chamber has been delisted from the list of agencies authorised to issue certificates of Origin (Non-preferential).
“The above referred public notice astonishingly states that a trade Notice No 22/2023 dated 16-08-2023 was given to those agencies enlisted under Appendix 2 E of FTB 2023 who have still not On-Boarded on the e-CoO platform for issuance of Certificate of Origin ( Non-Preferential ) to complete their On-Boarding by 31st of August,” the KCC&I said in a statement, adding, “The notice further states that 32 agencies (KCCI included) failed to respond to the DGFT or initiate any action for On-Boarding on the e-CoO platform despite follow-ups and reminders.”
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce strongly refutes DGFT’s contents of the notice wherein it states that it issued notices and reminders to the agencies mentioned in the delisted notice. “Why such an important organisation resorts to reasons for delisting is quite baffling. In fact, KCCI never received any communication/notification for onboarding on DGFT Platform,” it said.
The first notification, as KCCI has now learnt, had been issued on February 19, 2021, vide notice no 42/2022-2021 followed by a couple of other extension notices, the Chamber said. “But the 99 years and one of the oldest Chambers of India neither received nor had any knowledge about. In fact, the KCCI learnt about it only after the delisting notice.”
The KCCI said its delisting was pre-determined given the contents of the notice which is all but facts which the Chamber will strongly fight at all levels. The Chamber said it has already raised the matter with DGFT and other authorities.
Meanwhile, the KCCI said it is facilitating exporters in obtaining a Certificate of Origin. “Any exporter desirous of obtaining a Certificate of Origin can visit KCCI for the purpose,” it said.
