LS Cable India Pvt. Ltd.
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. CHA 48
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
This order rests on the following reasoning, and no other. Where a contravention of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and its regulations is admitted on the applicant's own declared facts, the compounding authority may compound it under Section 15(1) on payment of a sum fixed in the exercise of its discretion, having regard to the relevant facts and circumstances, in lieu of adjudication and a penalty of up to thrice the sum involved under Section 13. A company's failure to submit the report in Form FC-GPR within thirty days of issuing shares to a person resident outside India, in breach of Paragraph 9(1)(B) of Schedule I to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB, constitutes a contravention of the regulations, regardless of the fact that the shares were in fact issued and the investment received. A company's failure to file the Annual Return on Foreign Liabilities and Assets by the 15th day of July in each year, in breach of Paragraph 9(2) of Schedule I to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB and of Regulation 13.1(3) of Notification No. FEMA 20(R)/2017-RB, constitutes a contravention of those regulations for each year in which the return was not timely filed. The validity of the compounding order is conditional on the truth of the applicant's declarations that it was not under enquiry, investigation or adjudication and had filed no appeal under Sections 17 or 19; if those declarations prove false, the order does not preclude other action under the extant law.
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 Central Vista, Sector 17, P.B.No.2 Chandigarh-160017 Present Smt. Rachna Dikshit Regional Director (Punjab, Haryana and U.T. of Chandigarh) Chief General Manager, Chandigarh Date: June 27, 2019 CA No. CHA 48 /2019 In the matter of M/s LS Cable India Pvt. Ltd. Plot No. 28-31, Sector-5 Phase 2, GC Bawal, Rewari, Haryana-123501 (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 there under, I pass the following Order The applicant has filed a compounding application dated 17.06.2019 for compounding of contravention of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (the FEMA) and the regulations issued there under. The contraventions sought to be compounded pertain to (i) delay beyond 30 days in submission of Form FC-GPR to the Reserve Bank after issue of shares to a person resident outside India ii) delay in filing of FLA returns; in terms of Para 9(1) (B) and Paragraph 9(2) of Schedule 1 respectively to the 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 Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB) and (iii) delay in filing of FLA returns in terms of regulation 13.1(3) of Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or issue of security by a person resident outside India) Regulations, 2017, notified vide Notification No. FEMA 20(R)/2017-RB dated November 07, 2017 and as amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to as Notification No. FEMA 20(R)/2017-RB)
FED, CEFA Compounding of Contravention under FEMA, 1999 M/s LS Cable India Pvt. Ltd. [CA No. CHA 48/2019]
2. The relevant facts of the case are as follows: The applicant company was incorporated on September 28, 2007 under the Companies Act 1956.The applicant is engaged in manufacturing of other electronic and electric wires and cables (insulated wire and cable made of steel, copper and aluminum). 3. The applicant company issued shares to the non-resident investor but filed the Form FC-GPR with delay as indicated below.
Sr. Date of inflow Amount Shares Share Amount Date of Delay No issued on reporting to beyond 30 RBI days 1 06.09.2013 71,78,60,000 05.03.2014 211,59,60,000 21.04.2014 16 Days 2 12.11.2013 139,81,00,000 3 16.06.2017 86,84,55,000 19.07.2017 86,84,55,000 06.10.2017 49 Days
The applicant reported the allotment of shares to the Reserve Bank with delay ranging from 16 days to 49 days. The delay in reporting to the Reserve Bank in Form FC-GPR, beyond the prescribed period of 30 days in respect of allotment of the above shares, is in contravention of the provisions stipulated in the Paragraph 9(1) (B) of Schedule I to FEMA Notification No.20/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000, in terms of which an Indian company issuing shares in accordance with these regulations has to submit to Reserve Bank of India a report in Form FC-GPR along with documents prescribed therein within 30 days from the date of issue of shares to the person resident outside India.
4. The company has delayed in filing FLA Return (Foreign liabilities and Assets) from financial year 2010-2011 till 2016 -2017 as shown below: Sr. No. Particulars Financial Year Due date of filing Date of actual filing 1 FLA Return 2010-11 15-07-2011 30.05.2019 2 FLA Return 2011-12 15-07-2012 30.05.2019 3 FLA Return 2012-13 15-07-2013 30.05.2019 4 FLA Return 2013-14 15-07-2014 30.05.2019 5 FLA Return 2014-15 15-07-2015 30.05.2019 6 FLA Return 2015-16 15-07-2016 30.05.2019 7 FLA Return 2016-17 15-07-2017 30.05.2019 The applicant has filed FLA return from financial year 2010-2011 till 2016 -2017 with delay. Whereas, in terms of Para 9(2) of FEMA 20/2000-RB as then applicable and as amended, all Indian companies which have received Foreign Direct Investment in the previous year(s)
FED, CEFA Compounding of Contravention under FEMA, 1999 M/s LS Cable India Pvt. Ltd. [CA No. CHA 48/2019] including the current year shall submit to the Reserve Bank of India, on or before the 15th day of July of each year, [a report titled ‘Annual Return on Foreign Liabilities and Assets’ (FLA) as specified by the Reserve Bank from time to time. 5. The company has delayed in filing FLA Return (Foreign liabilities and Assets for financial year 2017 -2018 as shown below: Sr. Particulars Financial Year Due date of filing Date of actual filing No. 1 FLA Return 2017-18 15.07.2018 30.05.2019 The applicant has filed FLA return for FY 2017 -2018 with delay. Whereas, in terms of Regulation 13.1(3) of Notification No. FEMA 20R/2017-RB dated November 07, 2017 as then applicable and as amended, all Indian companies which have received Foreign Direct Investment in the previous year(s) including the current year shall submit to the Reserve Bank of India, on or before the 15th day of July of each year, [a report titled ‘Annual Return on Foreign Liabilities and Assets’ (FLA) as specified by the Reserve Bank from time to time.
6. The applicant was given an opportunity for personal hearing vide our letter No.FE.CG/FID/1285/03.01.484/2018-19 dated June 21, 2019 for further submission in person and/or producing documents, if any, in support of the application. However, the applicant vide its e-mail dated June 24, 2019 had informed that it was opting out of personal hearing and requested to proceed with the compounding. The application for compounding is, therefore, being considered on the basis of the averments made in the application along with the documents produced. 7. It has been declared in the compounding application dated June 17, 2019, that the particulars given by the applicant in the application are true and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief. It has been declared in the undertaking furnished with 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 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, CEFA Compounding of Contravention under FEMA, 1999 M/s LS Cable India Pvt. Ltd. [CA No. CHA 48/2019] 8. I have given my careful consideration to the documents on record and submissions made by the applicant. Accordingly, I hold that the applicant has contravened the following FEMA provisions issued in terms of: a. Paragraph 9 (1) (B) of Schedule I to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 due to delay in submission of Form FC-GPR to the Reserve Bank after issue of shares to persons resident outside India as detailed in paragraph 3 above. The contravention relates to an amount of Rs.298,44,15,000.00/- with the delay ranging from 16 days to 49 days. b. Paragraph 9 (2) of Schedule I to Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 due to delay in filing of FLA returns from the Financial Year 2010- 11 to 2016-17 as detailed in paragraph 4 above.
c. Regulation 13.1(3) of Notification No. FEMA 20(R)/ 2017- RB dated November 07, 2017 due to delay in Filing of FLA return for FY 2017-18 as detailed in paragraph 5 above. 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 contravention is to be compounded and I consider that amount of penalty of Rs.1,23,300.00 (Rupees One Lakh Twenty Three thousand Three Hundred only) will meet the ends of justice. 10. Accordingly, in terms of the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000, I compound the admitted contravention committed by the applicant, namely contravention of Paragraph Para 9(1) (B) and Paragraph 9(2) of Schedule 1 respectively to the 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 Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB) and (v) delay in filing of FLA returns in terms of regulation 13.1(3) of Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or issue of security by a person resident outside India) Regulations, 2017, notified vide Notification No. FEMA 20(R)/2017-RB dated November 07, 2017 and as amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to as Notification No. FEMA 20(R)/2017-RB) on the facts discussed above, on payment of an amount of Rs.1,23,300.00 (Rupees One Lakh Twenty Three thousand Three Hundred only) which shall be deposited by the applicant with the Reserve Bank of India, Foreign Exchange Department, Central Vista, Sector 17, Chandigarh-160017 by a demand draft
FED, CEFA Compounding of Contravention under FEMA, 1999 M/s LS Cable India Pvt. Ltd. [CA No. CHA 48/2019] drawn in favour of the “Reserve Bank of India” and payable at “Chandigarh” 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. The application is disposed of accordingly. Dated: the 27th day of June 2019.
Sd/- Rachna Dikshit Regional Director Chief General Manager
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