KCCI expresses ‘shock’ over DGFT decision to delist it from issuing export COOs

SRINAGAR : The President,  Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCC&I) has expresses shock over Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Public Notice  No 31/2023 dated 20-09-2023 by virtue of which the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce has been de-listed from the list of agencies authorized to issue certificates of Origin (Non-preferential).

In a media statement, Javed Ahmed Tenga, President KCCI, said that the “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 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”.

Strongly refuting the  contention, that it issued notices and reminders to the agencies mentioned in the Delisted Notice, KCCI said that it never received any communication or  notification for on-boarding on DGFT Platform.

“Notably, the first notification, as KCCI has now learnt, had been issued on 19-02-2021 vide notice no 42/2022-2021  followed by a couple of other extension notices. But this 99-year old and one of the oldest Chambers of India neither received nor had any knowledge about”, KCCI further said.

“In fact, the KCCI learnt about it only after the delisting notice. The KCCI is lead to believe that 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. It has already raised the matter with DGFT and other authorities”, the statement added.

In the meantime, KCCI is facilitating exporters in obtaining Certificate of Origin, any exporter desirous of obtaining Certificate of Origin can visit KCCI for the purpose, the statement further added.