Cam Pak India Private Limited
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. MUM 901/2019
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
This is a compounding order under section 15(1) of FEMA, not a judgment resolving contested questions of law; the reasoning consists of findings that the applicant admitted contraventions of paras 9(1)(A), 9(1)(B) and 8 of FEMA 20, that the compounding is subject to the veracity of the applicant's declarations, and that a penalty of Rs. 4,89,577 is adequate in the exercise of discretion under the Compounding Rules. The principle that the authority may compound admitted contraventions on payment of a sum it considers adequate, with the order being without prejudice to other proceedings, is the ground on which the order rests.
Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.
Judgment
As delivered
In the Reserve Bank of India Foreign Exchange Department Mumbai Regional Office Main Building, 3rd floor Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Fort Mumbai 400 001 Present Shri J.K. Pandey Chief General Manager August 01, 2019 CA No. MUM 901/2019 In the matter of M/s Cam Pak India Private Limited 101, Kshamalaya, 1st Floor, Opposite Patkar Hall, New Marine Lines, Mumbai 400020 (Applicant) In exercise of the powers conferred under section 15(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and the Regulations/Rules/Notifications/Orders made thereunder, I pass the following Order 1 The applicant has filed the compounding application dated May 03, 2019, received at the Reserve Bank on May 14, 2019, for compounding of contravention/s of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (the FEMA) and the regulations issued thereunder. The contravention/s sought to be compounded are in respect of the following (Regulations/ paras under Schedule 1 to Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) Regulations 2000, notified vide Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 and as amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to as FEMA 20):
I Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20: Delay in reporting receipt of foreign inward remittance towards subscription to equity
M/s Cam Pak India Private Limited, CA No: MUM 901/2019
II Para 9 (1) (B) of FEMA 20: Delay in filing Form FC GPR to Reserve Bank after issue of shares to person resident outside India III Para 8 of FEMA 20: Neither the equity instruments were issued, nor the money refunded to the foreign investor within 180 days from the receipt of the inward remittance 2 Brief details of the applicant company are as follows: Date of Incorporation December 11, 2014 Its main activities are: Packaging activities 3 The applicant received foreign inward remittances from non-resident investors towards equity shares / compulsorily convertible preference shares/ compulsorily convertible debentures and it reported the same to the Reserve Bank on dates as indicated below. Delay in reporting Foreign Direct Investment &/or delay in allotting the shares/ refunding the amount (whereas, "Y" represents delay in number of years, "M" represents delay in number of months and "D" represents delay in number of days, and LSF stands for : Late Submission Fees Sr Date of Amount received Date of Para 9 (1) A Date of Para 8 No/ inward (in INR) reporting to delay allotment delay LSF remittanc RBI / refund e (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY) 1 23-09-14 9 9,990.00 31-08-18 3Y 10M 8D 11-12-14 0 1 23-09-14 3,48,65,000.00 31-08-18 3Y 10M 8D 15-09-15 0Y 5M 24D 2 05-02-16 10.00 31-08-18 2Y 5M 26D 11-12-14 1Y 1M 25D TOTAL 3,49,65,000.00 In terms of Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20, an Indian company issuing shares or convertible debentures in accordance with these Regulations should report to the Reserve Bank of India as per the prescribed procedure not later than 30 days from the date of receipt of the amount of consideration. However the applicant reported receipt of all remittances with a delay to the Reserve Bank of India on dates indicated above with a delay ranging from 2Y 5M 26D to 3Y 10M 8D.
4 In respect of remittances amounting to Rs.3,48,65,010 (Rupees Three Crore Forty Eight Lakh Sixty Five Thousand and Ten Only), indicated in the table above the company allotted shares to the Non Resident investor for Rs 3,48,65,000 (Rupees Three Crore Forty Eight Lakh Sixty Five Thousand Only) after 180 days from the date of receipt of investment with a delay of 5M 24D. Against the balance amount of Rs 10 (Rupees Ten Only), the shares were allotted before receiving the foreign Investment and the delay in receiving foreign investment was 1Y 1M 25D. Whereas in terms of para 8 of FEMA 20, an Indian company is required to issue shares or refund the amount within 180 days from the date of receipt of inward remittance.
M/s Cam Pak India Private Limited, CA No: MUM 901/2019
5 The company allotted equity shares/compulsorily convertible preference shares/compulsorily convertible debentures and filed FC-GPRs as indicated below:
Delay in filing Form FCGPR (whereas, "Y" represents delay in number of years, "M" represents delay in number of months and "D" represents delay in number of days, LSF stands for : Late Submission Fees, IP stands for Issue Price and FV stands for Face Value Sno/ Date of Number of IP (FV+ Amount (IP*no Date of Para 9 (1) LSF allotment shares premium) of shares) reporting (B) delay (DD-MM-YY) (in INR) (in INR) (DD-MM-YY)
1 11-12-14 9999 10.00 99,990.00 28-06-17 2Y 5M 17D 2 11-12-14 1 10.00 10.00 12-10-18 3Y 9M 0D 3 15-09-15 110000 316.95 3,48,64,500.00 26-10-17 2Y 0M 10D TOTAL 3,49,64,500.00 The applicant filed form FC-GPRs as indicated above with a delay ranging from 2Y 0M 10D to 3Y 9M 0D. Whereas, in terms of Para 9(1) (B) of FEMA 20, an Indian company issuing shares in accordance with these Regulations has to submit to RBI a report in Form FC-GPR along with documents prescribed therein within 30 days from the date of issue of shares to Non Resident.
6 The applicant was given an opportunity for personal hearing, for further submission in person and/or for producing documents, if any, in support of the application vide e-mail dated July 22, 2019. The applicant appeared for personal hearing on July 25, 2019, during which Shri Nilesh Joshi, Consultant and Ms Ishita Shah, Consultant represented the applicant in the cabin of Shri J.K. Pandey, Chief General Manager, Mumbai Regional Office. The representatives of the applicant admitted the contraventions for which compounding has been sought. During the hearing it was submitted that delay was inadvertent and unintentional. The representatives of the applicant requested that in view of the foregoing a lenient view may be taken in disposal of the application. The application for compounding is, therefore, being considered on the basis of the averments made in the application as well as other documents and submissions made in this context by the applicant during personal hearing and thereafter. 7 I have given my careful consideration to the documents on record and submissions made by the applicant during the personal hearing and thereafter. Accordingly, I hold that the applicant has contravened the following FEMA provisions issued in terms of:
I Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20, due to the delay in reporting of receipt of foreign inward remittance towards subscription towards shares as detailed above. The contravention relates to total amount of Rs.3,49,65,000 (Rupees Three Crore Forty Nine Lakh Sixty Five Thousand and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 2Y 5M 26D to maximum 3Y 10M 8D approximately.
M/s Cam Pak India Private Limited, CA No: MUM 901/2019
II Para 9 (1) (B) of FEMA 20, due to the delay in submission of Form FC-GPR to the Reserve Bank after issue of shares to persons resident outside India and the contravention relates to total amount of Rs.3,49,64,500 (Rupees Three Crore Forty Nine Lakh Sixty Four Thousand Five Hundred and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 2Y 0M 10D to maximum 3Y 9M 0D approximately.
III Para 8 of FEMA 20, since the shares were neither issued nor the amount was refunded to the person resident outside India within the prescribed time from the date of receipt of the inward remittance. The contravention relates to total amount of Rs.3,48,65,010 (Rupees Three Crore Forty Eight Lakh Sixty Five Thousand Ten and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 0Y 5M 24D to maximum 1Y 1M 25D approximately.
8 It has been declared in the compounding application dated May 03, 2019 that the particulars given by the applicant in the application are true and correct to the best of their/his/her knowledge and belief. It has also been declared in a declaration attached to the compounding application that the applicant was not under any enquiry/investigation/adjudication by any agency as on the date of the application and has, in this regard, not informed of initiation of any such enquiry/investigation/ adjudication proceedings against it/him/her thereafter. It has further been declared that the applicant has not filed any appeal under section 17 or section 19 of FEMA, 1999. Accordingly, the above contraventions which are being compounded in this Order are subject to the veracity of the above declarations made by the applicant and this order is without prejudice to any other action which may be taken by any authority under the extant laws if the said declarations are subsequently discovered to be false and/or incorrect. 9 In terms of Section 13 of the FEMA, any person contravening any provision of the Act shall be liable to a penalty up to thrice the sum involved in such contravention upon adjudication. However, taking into account the relevant facts and circumstances of the case as stated in the foregoing paragraphs, I am persuaded to take a lenient view on the amount for which the contraventions are to be compounded and I consider that an amount of Rs.4,89,577 (Rupees Four Lakh Eighty Nine Thousand Five Hundred Seventy Seven and Zero Paise Only) will meet the ends of justice.
10 Accordingly, I compound the admitted contravention/s namely, the contravention/s of Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20, Para 9 (1) (B) of FEMA 20 and Para 8 of FEMA 20, by the applicant, on the facts discussed above in terms of the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000 on payment of an amount of Rs. 4,89,577 (Rupees Four Lakh Eighty Nine Thousand Five Hundred Seventy Seven and Zero Paise Only) which shall be deposited by the applicant with the Reserve Bank of India, Foreign Exchange Department, Mumbai Regional Office, Main Building, 3rd floor, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Fort, Mumbai-400001 by a demand draft drawn in favour of the "Reserve Bank of India" and payable at Mumbai within a period of 15 days from the date of this order. In case of failure to deposit the compounded amount within the above-mentioned period, Rule 10 of the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000 dated May 3, 2000 shall apply.
M/s Cam Pak India Private Limited, CA No: MUM 901/2019
11 The above order is passed only in respect of contraventions of Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20, Para 9 (1) (B) of FEMA 20 and Para 8 of FEMA 20 and does not restrict the right of any other authority to proceed against the Company for any other violations/contraventions noticed at any point of time. 12 The application is disposed of accordingly. dated: August 01, 2019 Compounding Authority (J.K. Pandey) Chief General Manager
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