GJEPC and government work to simplify e-commerce shipments to boost trade

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Dec 14, 2022

As the government works to boost exports across industries, the Ministry of Finance has put in place notifications to facilitate the automation of e-commerce shipments via post. The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council is confident that this will be beneficial for jewellery exports. 

The Ministry of Finance amended the ‘Exports by Post’ Regulations 2018 through its Central Board Of Indirect Taxes And Customs, the GJEPC reported on its website. The new amendments will allow postal authorities to set up, operate and maintain the PBE (Postal Bill of Export) Automated System for the filing of electronic declarations for export for goods through the postal system. 
 
“As means of achieving the export target set by the government for the gem and jewellery sector, GJEPC has identified e-commerce as the key area,” said GJEPC chairman Vipul Shah, the GJEPC reported. “We were working with the government to formulate conducive policies and regulations to start and enhance gem and jewellery e-commerce retail exports. Responding to our plea, the Finance Minister had announced in the last Union Budget the notifying of regulations by customs for ease of doing such exports. The courier regulations had already been notified. Now this notification to broad-base jewellery exports through e-commerce by post will certainly contribute towards realising the Government of India’s ambitious vision, under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme, as India Post with many more touch points spread across smaller towns and districts would facilitate eased logistics for export parcels even from remotest places across India.”       

The notification also authorises more post offices to accept and book export parcels. The initiative is designed to offer micro, small, and medium enterprises greater ease, transparency, and reach for their exports. 
 
“I express my gratitude to Honourable Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman for coming up, first, with a simplified regulatory measure for exports of jewellery through e-commerce via courier as announced in her Union Budget,” said Shah. “Now with the new notifications issued on 9th December 2022, exports through India Post have become a reality. The government is doing everything to mobilise MSMEs from every district to take benefit of this opportunity and contribute to the overall exports of the country.”