Kale Logistics Solutions Private Limited
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. MUM918/2019
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
This is a compounding order under section 15(1) of FEMA, not an adjudicating judgment on a contested point of law. The Compounding Authority rests its decision on the admitted contraventions, the applicant's declarations, and the exercise of discretion as to the sum payable. The reasoning contains the following principles, in the order taken: The contravention of para 9(1)(A) of FEMA 20 is established where an Indian company fails to report to the Reserve Bank the receipt of foreign inward remittance towards subscription to shares or convertible instruments within the prescribed period, and that failure is admitted by the applicant. The contravention of para 9(1)(B) of FEMA 20 is established where an Indian company fails to submit Form FC-GPR to the Reserve Bank within the prescribed period after issuing shares to a person resident outside India, and that failure is admitted by the applicant. The contravention of para 8 of FEMA 20 is established where an Indian company allots equity instruments to a non-resident investor before receiving the corresponding inward remittance, the required sequence being receipt of the remittance followed by allotment, and that inversion is admitted by the applicant. Late submission fees paid by the applicant in respect of delayed reporting are taken into account in determining the compoundable amount, so that delay already penalised through such fees is not separately computed in fixing the sum for compounding. A compounding authority may, under section 15(1) of FEMA and the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000, compound admitted contraventions on payment of a sum fixed in the exercise of its discretion, having regard to the facts and circumstances, notwithstanding that the statutory maximum penalty under section 13 is up to three times the sum involved; the compounding is conditional on the accuracy of the applicant's declarations that no enquiry or investigation is pending and that no appeal has been filed, and is without prejudice to any other action if those declarations prove false.
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 13, 2019 CA No. MUM918/2019 In the matter of M/s Kale Logistics Solutions Private Limited A-901, DIL Complex, Ghodbandar Road, Majiwada, Thane - 400610 (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 June 18, 2019, received at the Reserve Bank on June 25, 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 Kale Logistics Solutions Private Limited, CA No: MUM 918/2019 (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 September 25, 2009 Its main activities are: To provide solutions, support and services to companies engaged in cargo, logistics and other industries and to obtain and execute projects for development and maintenance of computer software therefor and to provide consultancy in respect thereof.
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 17-12-09 5 0,000.00 08-02-19 9Y 0M 22D 15-10-09 0Y 2M 2D 1 17-12-09 2 ,650.00 08-02-19 9Y 0M 22D 25-05-10 0 2 03-07-12 55,00,000.00 18-03-19 6Y 7M 12D 17-10-12 0 3 14-08-12 1,37,500.00 30-05-19 6Y 8M 15D 17-10-12 0 4 15-11-16 30,00,000.00 30-05-19 2Y 5M 14D 17-10-12 4Y 0M 29D 5 22-12-16 23,62,500.00 30-05-19 2Y 4M 7D 17-10-12 4Y 2M 5D 6 27-05-19 2,69,45,448.00 NA 0 28-05-19 0 TOTAL 3,79,98,098.00 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 company reported receipt of remittances to the Reserve Bank of India on dates indicated above in 5 out of 6 total remittances with a delay ranging from 2Y 4M 7D to 9Y 0M 22D. 4 In respect of remittances amounting to Rs.54,12,500/- (Rupees Fifty Four Lakh Twelve Thousand Five Hundred Only), indicated in the table above the company allotted shares before receiving the foreign Investment and the delay in receiving foreign investment ranges from 2M 2D to 4Y 2M 5D. Whereas, the sequence of events as envisaged in Para 8 of FEMA 20 is that the Indian company has to first receive the inward remittance and then proceed with allotment of shares.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Kale Logistics Solutions Private Limited, CA No: MUM 918/2019
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 Sr. Date of Number of IP (FV+ Amount (IP*no Date of Para 9 (1) no/ allotment shares premium) of shares) reporting (B) delay LSF (DD-MM-YY) (in INR) (in INR) (DD-MM-YY)
1 15-10-09 5000 10.00 50,000.00 08-02-19 9Y 2M 24D 2 25-05-10 265 10.00 2,650.00 28-02-19 8Y 8M 3D 3 17-10-12 550000 10.00 55,00,000.00 18-03-19 6Y 3M 29D 4 17-10-12 550000 10.00 55,00,000.00 30-05-19 6Y 6M 12D LSF 28-05-19 1738416 15.50 2,69,45,448.00 01-07-19 LSF Paid Paid TOTAL 3,79,98,098.00 The applicant filed form FC-GPRs as indicated above with a delay ranging from 6Y 3M 29D to 9Y 2M 24D. 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. In case of the allotment/s amounting to Rs. 2,69,45,448 (Rupees Two Crore Sixty Nine Lakh Forty Five Thousand Four Hundred Forty Eight and Zero Paise Only) indicated in the above table as "LSF Paid", they were also reported with a delay. In terms of Regulation 13.2 of FEMA 20R/2017- RB, the person/ entity responsible for filing the reports stipulated in Regulation 13.1 shall be liable for payment of late submission fee, as may be decided by the Reserve Bank, in consultation with the Central Government, for any delays in reporting. Since the applicant has already deposited the LSF amount, this delay has not been taken into consideration for computing the amount for compounding the contraventions.
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 September 03, 2019. The applicant appeared for personal hearing on September 06, 2019, during which Shri Sandesh Haldankar, Authorised representative of the company, Shri K Venkatesan, Consultant and Shri Ganesh V. Iyer, 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.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Kale Logistics Solutions Private Limited, CA No: MUM 918/2019
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.1,10,52,650 (Rupees One Crore Ten Lakh Fifty Two Thousand Six Hundred Fifty and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 2Y 4M 7D to maximum 9Y 0M 22D 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.1,10,52,650 (Rupees One Crore Ten Lakh Fifty Two Thousand Six Hundred Fifty and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 6Y 3M 29D to maximum 9Y 2M 24D approximately. III Para 8 of FEMA 20, since the shares were allotted to the person resident outside India prior to the date of receipt of the inward remittance. The contravention relates to total amount of Rs.54,12,500 (Rupees Fifty Four Lakh Twelve Thousand Five Hundred and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 0Y 2M 2D to maximum 4Y 2M 5D approximately.
8 It has been declared in the compounding application dated June 18, 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.2,69,838 (Rupees Two Lakh Sixty Nine Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty Eight and Zero Paise Only) will meet the ends of justice.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Kale Logistics Solutions Private Limited, CA No: MUM 918/2019
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. 2,69,838 (Rupees Two Lakh Sixty Nine Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty Eight 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. 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: September 13, 2019 Compounding Authority (J.K. Pandey) Chief General Manager
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