KOCHI: The Cochin Custom House Agents Association (CCHAA) has come up in support of the Kochi Customs in the ongoing confrontation between the Customs and the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) authorities regarding the inspection of containers at the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), Vallarpadam.The CCHAA office-bearers said that the Customs officials should be given a facility to inspect at the terminal as agreed at the Approval Committee meeting held in 2008. At the meeting, it was agreed that space would be demarcated at the ICTT for Customs examination.“But this decision has not been implemented,” said A Azeez, CCHAA president. The Customs and the SEZ authorities are at loggerheads over the inspection of consignments by the former at the ICTT, the first port-based SEZ in the country. The SEZ authorities’ stand is that inspection cannot be permitted in the SEZ area which is not acceptable for the Customs. Marking its protest, the Customs officials had boycotted a meeting convened by the SEZ development commissioner on Wednesday. The Customs is of the opinion that they need not attend the meeting since they have no permission to inspect the containers at the ICTT. “If the SEZ authorities think that Customs has no role in ICTT, then why should we attend the meeting convened by the SEZ authorities,” asked S A S Navas, deputy commissioner of Customs.He further said that the restrictions imposed on them for checking consignments at the International Container Transshipment Terminal, Vallarpadam, may give an advantage for those who engage in smuggling and could be a threat to national security. However, the Cochin Port Trust has brought the matter to the notice of the Central Government and the Centre has constituted an inter-ministerial committee to look into the matter. “It has conducted a study regarding this and findings of the study are expected soon,” said a CPT official. The DP World authorities said that they would export containers only after they have been cleared by the Customs authorities before they are brought to the terminal.“ICTT being located within the SEZ, the terminal gates of the ICTT are under the control and responsibility of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that has been appointed by the SEZ Development Commissioner who approves all permissions and access to the terminal,” they said.
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