New Delhi: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) commemorated International Customs Day-2024 in New Delhi. This year’s theme, as designated by the World Customs Organisation (WCO), is ‘Customs engaging traditional and new partners with purpose.’
Shri Sanjay Malhotra, Secretary of the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, presided over the celebration as the Chief Guest, with Shri Sanjay Agarwal, Chairman of CBIC, serving as the Guest of Honour. The event witnessed extensive participation from Customs officers nationwide, various partnering agencies, and dignitaries from other government departments.
Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, expressed that the theme aligns with the vision of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ and emphasized collaboration for India’s growth, aiming to become the third-largest economy by 2027-28.
Union Minister of State for Finance, Shri Pankaj Chaudhary, highlighted Customs’ crucial role in fostering continuity across international boundaries and called for forging partnerships to facilitate businesses in India.
Shri Malhotra acknowledged the transformative use of technology by the department, praising Customs and partner agencies for significantly improving cargo dwell time at ports and airports.
Shri Agarwal emphasized the need for Customs to reinvigorate engagement strategies, forge new partnerships, and strive for global benchmarks. He echoed Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call for adopting global best practices in Customs.
A book and compendium were released during the celebration, showcasing various reform initiatives by Indian Customs for trade facilitation. The WCO Certificate of Merit was awarded to officers and partner agencies for their outstanding service, with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) recognized for their significant contribution to cross-border cargo clearance time improvement.
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