Coal import registration fee capped at Rs 500 under revised rules

The Ministry of Coal has set a flat registration fee of Rs 500 per consignment under the coal import monitoring system (CIMS) portal, replacing the earlier slab-based structure that ranged from Rs 500 to Rs 1,00,000.

The CIMS is a digital platform designed to track coal imports in real time. It helps the government collect data to frame policies aimed at reducing coal imports. Importers must register their coal consignments in the system before the cargo arrives at Indian ports. They receive a registration number which must be included in the bill of entry during customs clearance.

With this change, the CIMS is now aligned with similar systems used for monitoring steel, non-ferrous metals, and paper imports.