With an aim to make export procedures simpler and more efficient, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has introduced automated issuance of Free Sale and Commerce Certificates (FSC) through its portal. These Certificates are issued to exporters, under Foreign Trade Policy, for items which are not covered under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940. Until now, DGFT Regional Authorities (RAs) issued the certificates after reviewing and verifying applications.
Eligible applications will now be considered for automatic issuance in accordance with the prevailing framework, without being routed for manual scrutiny. The automated mechanism is expected to reduce processing time for a significant category of FSC applications and lower the compliance burden associated with the earlier manual process. Applications requiring verification, or those not meeting the automated processing parameters, may continue to be routed to the concerned RA for manual processing. Certain auto-approved applications may also be subsequently flagged to the concerned RA for review under the system's risk management parameters.
The initiative is expected to facilitate faster issuance of FSCs by reducing avoidable manual intervention and bringing greater predictability to the processing of applications. Appropriate verification and oversight will continue for applications requiring scrutiny. With automated, rule-based processing and risk-based review, the measure aims to enhance efficiency, transparency and predictability in the issuance of FSCs for exporters as well as administering authorities.
