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			 26(RE-2009)/2009-14, Dated: 17/03/2010 
  
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY 
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF FOREIGN TRADE 
Policy Circular No.      26/  2009-14                                                  Dated:  17th  March 2010 
Subject:            Import of Ships (Vessels) & other moveable capital goods etc. if  imported under SFIS Scheme of FTP and their installation, clarification  thereof.  
Attention is invited to SFIS  Scheme under the FTP 2004-09 & current FTP 2009-14. Trade and  Industry has represented that some Customs Authorities are seeking  ‘Installation Certificate’ from the ship owners, and since the import  item is a Ship (a moveable capital asset/good), there appears to be some  confusion in the minds of Customs Authority (Particularly at Mumbai Sea  Ports & Kakinada Sea Port) in this regard, on account of which  Customs has stopped allowing use of SFIS for payment of duties on import  of ships by the service providers.   
2.         The matter has  been examined in detail. It is clarified that: 
a)      The provision relating to disallowing import of ‘Vehicle’  was introduced in FTP RE2006 (Updated as on 7.4.2006) and applies to  SFIS duty credits scrips issued on Foreign Exchange earned during  2005-06 and thereafter, implying that there is no such stipulation for   SFIS duty credits scrips issued for Foreign Exchange earned prior to  2005-06 period under the FTP. The intention of this provision is to  protect the domestic sector industry of ‘motor cars, sports utility  vehicles and the likes’ and thereby disallows such imports only under  SFIS Scheme.   
b)      Ships cannot be treated as ‘vehicle’. Hence, it is  clarified that the import of Ships, a capital good for Shipping Sector,  is permitted under the scheme. 
c)      Upon imports, Ships are registered with the Director  General of Shipping (or Mercantile Marine Board, as the case may be) and  only then these vessels are treated as ‘Indian Flag vessels’. Ships are  moveable capital assets; hence these cannot be installed at one  particular location. Thus, the requirement of ‘installation certificate’  cannot be insisted upon, for such moveable capital assets /goods.  Customs Authorities are accordingly not to insist on the ‘installation  certificate’ for moveable capital assets /goods, if imported under the  SFIS scheme. 
3.         This  clarification regarding non-requirement of installation certificate  shall also apply to EPCG for Service Providers wherein import of  moveable capital goods is permitted. 
This issues with the  approval of the DGFT.  
  
Sd/- 
 (A. K. Singh) 
Joint Director General of Foreign Trade 
(Issued from File No:  01/91/180/1659/AM10/PC-3) 
To 
All Licensing Authorities 
All Customs Authorities 
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