Thermax SPX Energy Technologies Limited
- CitationRBI Compounding Order CA No. MUM928/2019
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
This order rests on a single line of reasoning: the Compounding Authority holds that the applicant has admitted, and is therefore liable for, a contravention of para 9(1)(B) of FEMA 20 by reporting shares issued to a non-resident in Form FC-GPR some eight years and ten months late, and that the contravention may be compounded under section 15(1) of the Act on payment of a sum fixed by the Authority in place of the penalty of up to three times the amount involved that section 13 would otherwise permit. The Authority exercises its discretion to take a lenient view on the amount, given the admission, the representative's submission that the delay was inadvertent and unintentional, and the applicant's declarations that it is not under any pending enquiry or appeal, and it fixes the compounded sum accordingly. Compounding is confined to the contravention specified, and it is expressly without prejudice to any other authority proceeding against the company for other contraventions, or to action if the 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 Sunil Pethkar Assistant General Manager September 25, 2019 CA No. MUM928/2019 In the matter of M/s Thermax SPX Energy Technologies Ltd Thermax House, 14, Mumbai Pune Road, Wakdewadi, Pune 411003 (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 July 09, 2019, received at the Reserve Bank on July 16, 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) (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 Thermax SPX Energy Technologies Ltd, CA No: MUM 928/2019
2 Brief details of the applicant company are as follows: Date of Incorporation October 06, 2009 Its main activities are: Design, manufacture & supply of electrostatic precitators and regenerative air gas heaters
3 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 02-12-09 9760800 10.00 9,76,08,000.00 31-12-09 0 2 03-05-10 39200 10.00 3,92,000.00 09-04-19 8Y 10M 6D TOTAL 9,80,00,000.00 The applicant filed form FC-GPRs as indicated above, out of which 1 form FCGPR was reported with a delay of 8Y 10M 6D. 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. 4 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 13, 2019. The applicant appeared for personal hearing on September 17, 2019, during which Mr Anoop Deshpande, Consultant represented the applicant in the cabin of Shri Sunil Pethkar, Assistant General Manager, Mumbai Regional Office. The representative of the applicant admitted the contravention for which compounding has been sought. During the hearing it was submitted that delay was inadvertent and unintentional. The representative 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. 5 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) (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.3,92,000 (Rupees Three Lakh Ninety Two Thousand and Zero Paise Only) with a delay of 8Y 10M 6D approximately.
FED, MRO, CEFA, M/s Thermax SPX Energy Technologies Ltd, CA No: MUM 928/2019
6 It has been declared in the compounding application dated July 09, 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. 7 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.18,917 (Rupees Eighteen Thousand Nine Hundred Seventeen and Zero Paise Only) will meet the ends of justice.
8 Accordingly, I compound the admitted contravention/s namely, the contravention/s of 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. 18,917 (Rupees Eighteen Thousand Nine Hundred Seventeen 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. 9 The above order is passed only in respect of contraventions of 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. 10 The application is disposed of accordingly. dated: September 25, 2019 Compounding Authority sd/- (Sunil Pethkar) Assistant General Manager
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