New Delhi: The canvassing for India’s candidature for the TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers, International Road Transport) Executive Board peaks with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in association with the Ministry of External Affairs organising an event yesterday to muster support for the candidate Vimal Kumar Srivastava.
The TIR Executive Board (TIRExB) elections are scheduled to be held during the 81st session of the TIR Administrative Committee on October 11, 2023, at Palais des Nations, Geneva.
Srivastava is the Principal Commissioner and Head of International Customs Relations of CBIC, and ambassadors and delegates from contracting parties to the Convention on International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets attended the event to muster support for his candidature. The event was also attended by Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra; Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, Sanjay Verma; Special Secretary and Chairman CBIC, Sanjay Kumar Agarwal; and Special Secretary and Member Customs, CBIC, Surjit Bhujabal, amongst others.
While Srivastava was introduced to foreign delegations present at the reception, it was conveyed that India seeks to integrate with the international transport networks under the aegis of the Convention and recognises that cross-border connectivity has a key role in regional integration, economic growth, and geopolitical stability.
It was further stated that with the election of India’s expert in the TIRExB, India intends to contribute significantly to the global integration of the multi-modal transport system through the implementation of the related procedures and methods, especially the full digitisation of TIR. It was also highlighted that India intends to expand the geographical coverage of the Convention and leverage it for redefining the transit arrangements in the South Asia region.
TIR Convention, 1975 is an international harmonised system of customs control, which enables seamless transport of goods crossing multiple international borders using a single customs document (TIR Carnet) and a unified system of guarantee. It has 78 contracting parties, including India. More than 33,000 operators are authorized to use the system and around 1.5 million TIR transports are carried out per year. The TIRExB is a subsidiary body of the Administrative Committee. It supervises and provides support in the application of the TIR procedure. It is composed of 9 members, each from different contracting parties.
India is a significant trading nation in the Asia Pacific region and a key participant in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Since its accession to the Convention in 2017, India has taken several measures to promote the use of TIR. A National Guaranteeing Association has been appointed and a Circular 48/2018-Cus has been issued detailing the procedure and authorising ports and other customs stations of the country. India has also conducted pilot runs, including one using digital TIR. Measures have been initiated to ensure effective usage of TIR through stakeholder consultations.
– global bihari bureau
