Raj Borax Private Limited
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. MUM 967/2019
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
This order is a compounding order under section 15(1) of FEMA, and the reasoning it rests on is the following. Where the applicant admits contraventions of Para 9(1)(A) and Para 9(1)(B) of FEMA 20, namely delayed reporting of foreign inward remittances for share subscription and delayed filing of Form FC-GPR after allotment of shares to non-resident persons, the compounding authority may compound those admitted contraventions under the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000, on payment of a compounding amount fixed by the authority in its discretion. The compounding authority may take a lenient view on the quantum of the compounding amount, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, including the applicant's admission of the contraventions and its submission that the delay was inadvertent and unintentional, notwithstanding that section 13 permits a penalty of up to three times the sum involved. A compounding order is conditional on the veracity of the applicant's declarations that it is not under enquiry, investigation or adjudication and has not appealed under sections 17 or 19 of FEMA; if those declarations prove false, the order does not bar other action under the extant laws, and it operates only in respect of the contraventions so compounded and does not restrict other authorities from proceeding for other contraventions.
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 CA No. MUM 967/2019 In the matter of M/s Raj Borax Private Limited 803, Hubtown Solaris, 8th Floor, N.S. Phadke Marg, Near East West Flyover, Andheri East Mumbai - 400 069 (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 September 14, 2019, received at the Reserve Bank on September 20, 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 2 Brief details of the applicant company are as follows: Date of Incorporation May 01, 2007 Its main activities are: Manufacture of Boron based Chemicals and Fertilizers.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Raj Borax Private Limited, CA No: MUM 967/2019
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 Delay in Date of Delay in No/ inward (in INR) reporting to reporting allotment allotment LSF remittanc RBI Foreign / refund or refund e Investment (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY) 1 04-02-08 19,62,607.00 24-05-08 0Y 2M 19D 24-03-08 0Y 0M 0D 2 20-02-08 14,99,975.00 24-05-08 0Y 2M 3D 24-03-08 0Y 0M 0D 3 29-02-08 14,90,625.00 24-05-08 0Y 1M 25D 24-03-08 0Y 0M 0D 4 14-03-08 4 6,793.00 24-05-08 0Y 1M 9D 24-03-08 0Y 0M 0D 4 14-03-08 1 3,254.00 24-05-08 0Y 1M 9D 06-05-08 0Y 0M 0D 5 18-03-08 5 2,052.00 24-05-08 0Y 1M 5D 06-05-08 0Y 0M 0D TOTAL 50,65,306.00 In terms of Para 9 (1) (A) of FEMA 20, an Indian company issuing equity shares/ compulsorily convertible debentures/compulsorily convertible preference shares 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 0Y 1M 5D to 0Y 2M 19D, 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 Sr. Date of Number of IP (FV+ Amount (IP*no Date of Delay in no/ allotment shares premium) of shares) reporting filing LSF (in INR) (in INR) FCGPR (DD-MM-YY) (DD-MM-YY)
1 24-03-08 500000 10.00 50,00,000.00 24-05-08 0Y 0M 30D TOTAL 50,00,000.00
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Raj Borax Private Limited, CA No: MUM 967/2019
The applicant filed form FC-GPR as indicated above with a delay of 0Y 0M 30D. 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 December 05, 2019. The applicant appeared for personal hearing on December 10, 2019, during which Mr. Girish Mehta, Director of the Company, Mr. Hardik Mehta, Consultant and Mr. Mayur Nayak, Consultant represented the applicant in the cabin of Shri R.K. Mahana, 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.50,65,306 (Rupees Fifty Lakh Sixty Five Thousand Three Hundred Six and Zero Paise Only) and with a delay ranging from minimum 0Y 1M 5D to maximum 0Y 2M 19D 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.50,00,000 (Rupees Fifty Lakh and Zero Paise Only) with a delay of 0Y 0M 30D approximately.
7 It has been declared in the compounding application dated September 14, 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 Raj Borax Private Limited, CA No: MUM 967/2019
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.22,750 (Rupees Twenty Two Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty 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. 22,750 (Rupees Twenty Two Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty 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: December 12, 2019 Compounding Authority (R.K. Mahana) General Manager
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