Standoff between Customs, SEZ continues

KOCHI: The proposed Container Freight Station (CFS) is unlikely to put an end to the standoff between the customs and the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) authorities, with the former sticking to their stand on the seals of containers transshipped through International Container Transship Terminal (ICTT) to be verified. As the customs department want to inspect the consignments at the ICTT, the Gateway authorities have refused to permit any such move in the Gateway area.Last week, the Union government had cleared the proposal by the Cochin Port Trust to set up a Container Freight Station with private participation at Vallarpadam near the ICTT.One of the main conditions put forward by the Centre government for Gateway Distripark (Kerala) Limited (GDKL) is that facilities for customs should be provided within the CFS. However, the customs authorities said that the issue would not be solved even if the CFS starts functioning as their demand is for verification of seal of containers.“It is the containers and not the cargo examined during transshipment but only the seals are verified. A detailed examination of cargo is needed only if the seals are found tampered or broken. Verification of seals of containers does not consume much time and this has been blown out of proportion,” said a senior official of the customs Kochi unit.