Indian Economy
CRCL Recognized as Regional Customs Laboratory
- 04 Mar 2021
- 3 min read
Why in News
Central Revenues Control Laboratory (CRCL), New Delhi, under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs has been recognized as a Regional Customs Laboratory (RCL) of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) for Asia-Pacific Region.
- With its recognition as RCL, CRCL joins a select group of Customs Laboratories in the region like those in Japan & Korea.
Key Points
- About Central Revenues Control Laboratory (CRCL):
- Established: 1939.
- With the introduction of instrument based testing, Revenue Laboratories are facilitating faster clearances, without compromising on law enforcement, and thereby playing a vital role in trade facilitation.
- Regional Customs Laboratory:
- Their traditional work is the chemical analysis to determine tariff classification and the level of duties and other taxes.
- Their role has evolved over time with changes in trade patterns and technical evolution.
- Modern customs laboratories now play an important part in environmental protection (e.g., controlling the trade of ozone depleting substances), endangered species protection, control of dangerous goods such as pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, chemical weapons, as well as narcotics and drug precursors, etc.
- World Customs Organisation:
- The World Customs Organization (WCO), established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations.
- At present, it represents 183 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade.
- India had become the vice-chair (regional head) of the Asia Pacific region of the WCO for a period of two years to June, 2020.
- It is the only international organization with competence in Customs matters and which can rightly call itself the voice of the international Customs community.
- It has its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
- Some Important Conventions/Mechanism under WCO:
- The SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade.
- The International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS Convention).
- The International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs procedures (revised Kyoto Convention or RKC).
