Till now, advance payment without any limit and without a bank guarantee or standby letter of credit could be made only to notified mining companies by an importer, other than a public sector company or a department or undertaking of the Union or state governments.
Henceforth, RBI will not notify the names of foreign mining companies from which such an importer may import roughs by way of advance payments and without any limit or bank guarantee or standby letter of credit.
However, banks remitting the advance payments must adhere to certain conditions.
RBI says banks should undertake the transactions on their commercial judgment and after being satisfied about the genuineness of the transaction.
The foreign mining company should have the recommendation of the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council.
The importer should be a recognised processor of roughs, with a good record.
Advance payments should be strictly as in the sale contract and made directly to the account of the company concerned -- that is, to the ultimate beneficiary, not through numbered accounts or otherwise.
Also, due caution is to be exercised to ensure the remittance is not permitted for import of what are termed 'conflict diamonds' -- they must have the Kimberly Certification, a scheme established by the United Nations to prevent diamond sales from financing war and/or human rights abuses.
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