CBIC Notifies Strengthening Trade Facilitation through New PTFC & CCFC Mechanisms

The Government of India, through the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), has been actively implementing reforms to enhance trade facilitation, transparency, and digitization in customs processes. Circular No. 21/2025-Customs, issued on September 12, 2025, marks a significant step in consolidating and realigning existing mechanisms to address evolving trade patterns and ensure measurable service delivery. This blog explores the key highlights of the circular and its implications for stakeholders.

Key Highlights of Circular No. 21/2025-Customs

1. Institutionalized Consultation Mechanisms 

CBIC has reviewed and strengthened the functioning of two critical committees:

Permanent Trade Facilitation Committees (PTFCs): These committees will now meet fortnightly to ensure timely resolution of grievances and bottlenecks in customs clearance processes.
Customs Clearance Facilitation Committees (CCFCs): These committees will convene once every two months to address systemic issues and enhance inter-agency coordination.

2. Expanded Composition

The composition of PTFCs and CCFCs has been broadened to include representatives from various stakeholders:

PTFCs: Representatives from DGFT, custodians, PGAs, shipping lines, logistics service providers, trade councils, and customs brokers.
CCFCs: Senior customs officers, representatives from Ministries of Shipping, Railways, Highways, Civil Aviation, and PGAs operating under SWIFT, along with DG Systems (ICES/ICEGATE), NCTC, and Directorate of Logistics.

3. Revised Terms of Reference (ToR) 

The ToRs for both committees have been updated to include:

Timely resolution of grievances and bottlenecks.
Monitoring performance of digital grievance tools like Turant Suvidha Kendras (TSKs), Anonymized Escalation Mechanism (AEM), and ICEGATE helpdesk.
Escalation of unresolved issues to National Assessment Centres (NACs).

Grievance Redressal Mechanisms 

1. Faceless Assessment

Faceless Assessment has standardized customs processing, reducing delays in the clearance of live Bills of Entry. A tri-layered grievance redressal mechanism has been institutionalized:

Anonymized Escalation Mechanism (AEM): Allows ICEGATE-registered users to raise online grievances with anonymized identities and real-time tracking.
Turant Suvidha Kendras (TSKs): Physical and operational interfaces established in each customs zone to facilitate grievance resolution and procedural support.
National Assessment Centres (NACs): Monitor and analyze grievances arising from non-uniformity in assessment practices and recommend systemic improvements.

2. Social Media and Email Grievances 

Customs zones are now required to establish dedicated mechanisms to monitor grievances received via social media platforms and official email channels. Each grievance will be acknowledged with a unique reference number and resolved in a time-bound manner.

Role of Committees in Trade Facilitation 

Permanent Trade Facilitation Committees (PTFCs) 

PTFCs are tasked with:

Ensuring expeditious clearance of imported and exported goods.
Identifying and removing bottlenecks in customs clearance processes.
Resolving grievances locally and escalating unresolved issues to higher authorities.
Establishing a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for effective coordination.

Customs Clearance Facilitation Committees (CCFCs) 

CCFCs focus on:

Conducting Time Release Studies to improve clearance times.
Resolving grievances and flagging unresolved issues to NACs or CBIC.
Monitoring the implementation of the National Trade Facilitation Action Plan (NTFAP).
Conducting studies on facilitation measures, innovation, capacity building, and gender participation.

Digital Tools for Grievance Monitoring 

Turant Suvidha Kendras (TSKs)

TSKs serve as the operational interface for facilitating customs processes under Faceless Assessment. A digital portal is being developed to monitor the timely resolution of grievances raised through TSKs.

Anonymized Escalation Mechanism (AEM) 

The AEM allows users to raise grievances online, which are auto-routed to the concerned officer for resolution. CBIC has directed DG Systems to revamp the AEM mechanism for enhanced efficiency.

National Assessment Centres (NACs) 

NACs play a pivotal role in monitoring grievances related to Faceless Assessment. They are tasked with:

Analyzing grievance trends and recommending systemic improvements.
Conducting sectoral consultations fortnightly.
Ensuring uniformity in assessment practices across zones.

Contact Details for Stakeholders

The circular provides detailed contact information for Turant Suvidha Kendras (TSKs) and National Assessment Centres (NACs) across various zones. Stakeholders can access these details to raise grievances or seek assistance.

Conclusion

Circular No. 21/2025-Customs underscores CBIC’s commitment to strengthening trade facilitation through institutionalized consultation mechanisms and robust grievance redressal systems. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders and leveraging digital tools, the government aims to enhance the ease of doing business and streamline customs processes. Stakeholders are encouraged to actively participate in PTFC and CCFC meetings and utilize the grievance redressal mechanisms to address their concerns.

In case you face any issues related to Indirect Tax-Customs, GST, Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), Arbitration matters and Central Licensing and related advisory matters in India then please feel free to get in touch with SJ EXIM Services.

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Source: CBIC, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India

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