The next phase of a new faceless customs assessment system is to be rolled out in India, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has said.

In June, the CBIC launched a faceless trial for certain imported goods in Bangalore and Chennai ahead of a pan-India rollout in January 2021.

Delhi and Mumbai Customs are to enter into phase two this week, the CBIC said in a letter to the principal chief commissioners of customs and central tax.

"The board has decided to begin the second phase of All India rollout of faceless assessment by including Delhi and Mumbai Customs Zones and extending the scope of faceless assessment at Chennai and Bangalore Customs Zones," it said.

This came after a review of the first phase resolved the few technical and administrative issues that arose and noted an improvement in the speed and efficiency of customs clearance.

The second phase includes items such as musical instruments, watches, surgical tools and photography equipment.

Faceless assessment means officers can assess a Bill of Entry from a different customs station in an automated system, thereby eliminating the need for physical documents.