<p data-path-to-node="2">&nbsp;In a major coordinated effort to improve cross-border trading efficiency, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and the Department of Revenue have held a high-level joint meeting. The strategic session focused explicitly on accelerating Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) procedural reforms to minimize cargo clearance cycle times and slash transaction costs across India’s gateway ports.</p><p data-path-to-node="3">The inter-ministerial dialogue forms part of the government’s ongoing legislative push to systematically eliminate lingering operational bottlenecks in maritime logistics.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="5"><b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="0">Targeting Port Logistics and Digital Integration Reforms</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="6">The joint deliberation established a clear roadmap to synchronize custom clearances with modern port operations, aiming to significantly boost India’s ranking in the global Ease of Doing Business index:</p><ul data-path-to-node="7"><li><p data-path-to-node="7,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Accelerating Direct Port Delivery (DPD):</b> The departments reviewed frameworks to widen the scale of DPD and Direct Port Export (DPE) initiatives, which allow trusted importers to bypass congested container freight stations and clear cargo right at the terminal berth.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Unified Digital Customs Integration:</b> A primary focal point was the deeper technical integration of the CBIC’s ICEGATE platform with the National Logistics Portal-Marine (NLP-Marine). The move is designed to create a single-window interface for absolute data sharing among custom officials, port authorities, and terminal operators.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Simplifying Risk Management Systems (RMS):</b> The meeting explored lowering the physical inspection ratios for low-risk commercial cargo by leveraging advanced AI-driven profiling tools, ensuring that compliance checks do not disrupt terminal velocity.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,3,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,3,0" data-index-in-node="0">Resolving Inter-Agency Bottlenecks:</b> Officials formed dedicated local coordination committees at major sea custom commands to quickly resolve operational disputes between port trusts, custom brokers, and security agencies.</p></li></ul>