FinIQ Consulting India Private Limited
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. MUM 889/2019
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
The compounding authority holds that a contravention of the reporting timelines in Para 9(1)(A) and Para 9(1)(B) of FEMA 20 may be compounded under section 15(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, on an admitted basis and on payment of a compounding sum, where the applicant has admitted the contraventions, declared that the particulars in its application are true and that no enquiry, investigation, adjudication or appeal is pending, and where the delay is said to have been inadvertent and unintentional. The compounding authority holds that, in fixing the compounding sum, a penalty under section 13 of the Act, which may extend to thrice the sum involved in the contravention, is to be assessed with regard to the relevant facts and circumstances of the case, and that the authority may take a lenient view on the amount where those circumstances warrant it. The compounding authority holds that the compounding order is expressly confined to the contraventions of Para 9(1)(A) and Para 9(1)(B) of FEMA 20 and is made subject to the veracity of the applicant's declarations, such that it is without prejudice to any other action under the extant laws if those declarations are subsequently found to be false or incorrect, or to proceedings against the company for any other contravention.
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 September 06, 2019 CA No. MUM 889/2019 In the matter of M/s FinIQ Consulting India Private Limited Siddharth Towers 1, Office 617, Sangam Press Road, Kothrud Pune - 411 038 (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 February 20, 2019, received at the Reserve Bank on April 24, 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 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
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s FinIQ Consulting India Private Limited, CA No: MUM 889/2019
2 Brief details of the applicant company are as follows: Date of Incorporation June 20, 2008 Its main activities are: Software Development
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 S 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 06-08-08 59,24,170.62 21-04-17 8Y 7M 15D 11-10-08 0 2 10-10-08 1,20,74,029.00 19-07-17 8Y 8M 8D 11-10-08 0 TOTAL 1,79,98,200.00 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 remittances to the Reserve Bank of India on dates indicated above with a delay ranging from 8Y 7M 15D to 8Y 8M 8D. Further, the applicant company delayed in reporting in case of all the remittances.
4 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 11-10-08 179982 100.00 1,79,98,200.00 24-07-18 9Y 8M 12D TOTAL 1,79,98,200.00
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s FinIQ Consulting India Private Limited, CA No: MUM 889/2019
The applicant filed form FC-GPR as indicated above with a delay of 9Y 8M 12D. 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. 5 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 September 03, 2019. The applicant appeared for personal hearing on September 06, 2019, during which CS Kuldeep Ruchandani, Consultant and Shri Yogesh Karwa, Vice President- Finance & Control of the company 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. 6 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.1,79,98,200 (Rupees One Crore Seventy Nine Lakh Ninety Eight Thousand Two Hundred and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 8Y 7M 15D to maximum 8Y 8M 8D approximately. 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.1,79,98,200 (Rupees One Crore Seventy Nine Lakh Ninety Eight Thousand Two Hundred and Zero Paise Only) with a delay of 9Y 8M 12D approximately.
7 It has been declared in the compounding application dated February 20, 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.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s FinIQ Consulting India Private Limited, CA No: MUM 889/2019
8 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.10,05,667 (Rupees Ten Lakh Five Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Seven and Zero Paise Only) will meet the ends of justice.
9 Accordingly, I compound the admitted contravention/s namely, the contravention/s of Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20 and Para 9 (1) (B) 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. 10,05,667 (Rupees Ten Lakh Five Thousand Six Hundred Sixty 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.
10 The above order is passed only in respect of contraventions of Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20 and Para 9 (1) (B) 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.
11 The application is disposed of accordingly. dated: September 06, 2019 Compounding Authority sd/- (J.K. Pandey) Chief General Manager
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