REPORTING OF FDI
The reporting requirements for any investment in India by a person resident in India under Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules, 2019 are specified by the RBI. Regulation 4 of the Foreign Exchange Management (Mode of Payment and Reporting of Non-Debt Instruments) Regulations, 2019 vide notification No. FEMA. 395/2019-RB dated 17.10.2019 issued by the RBI stipulates the reporting requirement for any investment in India by a person resident outside India.
All the reporting is required to be done through the Single Master Form (SMF) available on the Foreign Investment Reporting and Management System (FIRMS) platform at https://firms.rbi.org.in.The user manual for reporting is available at https://firms.rbi.org.in/firms/faces/pages/login.xhtml. The format of the SMF and KYC report is available in the user manual.
ADHERENCE TO GUIDELINES/ORDERS AND CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLATION
FDI is a capital account transaction and thus any violation of FDI regulations are covered by the penal provisions of FEMA. Reserve Bank of India administers the FEMA and the Directorate of Enforcement under the Ministry of Finance is the authority for the enforcement of FEMA. The Directorate takes up investigation in any contravention of FEMA.
Penalties
1. If a person violates/contravenes any FDI Regulations, by way of breach/non-adherence/non-compliance/contravention of any rule, regulation, notification, press note, press release, circular, direction or order issued in exercise of the powers under FEMA or contravenes any conditions subject to which an authorization is issued by the Government of India/ Reserve Bank of India, he shall, upon adjudication, be liable to a penalty up to thrice the sum involved in such contraventions where such amount is quantifiable, or up to two lakh Rupees where the amount is not quantifiable, and where such contraventions is a continuing one, further penalty which may extend to five thousand Rupees for every day after the first day during which the contraventions continues.
2. Where a person committing a contravention of any provisions of this Act or of any rule, direction or order made there under is a company (company means anybody corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals as defined in the Companies Act), every person who, at the time the contravention was committed, was in charge of, and was responsible to, the company for the conduct of the business of the company as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the contravention and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
- Any Adjudicating Authority adjudging any contraventions under 3.1(i) above, may, if he thinks fit in addition to any penalty which he may impose for such contravention direct that any currency, security or any other money or property in respect of which the contravention has taken place shall be confiscated to the Central Government.
Adjudication and Appeals
1. For the purpose of adjudication of any contravention of FEMA, the Ministry of Finance as per the provisions contained in the Foreign Exchange Management (Adjudication Proceedings and Appeal) Rules, 2000 appoints officers of the Central Government as the Adjudicating Authorities for holding an enquiry in the manner prescribed. A reasonable opportunity has to be given to the person alleged to have committed contraventions against whom a complaint has been made for being heard before imposing any penalty.
2. The Central Government may appoint as per the provisions contained in the Foreign Exchange Management (Adjudication Proceedings and Appeal) Rules, 2000, an Appellate Authority/ Appellate Tribunal to hear appeals against the orders of the adjudicating authority.
Compounding Proceedings
Under the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules 2000, the Central Government may appoint ‘Compounding Authority’ an officer either from the Enforcement Directorate or Reserve Bank of India for any person contravening any provisions of the FEMA. The Compounding Authorities are authorized to compound the amount involved in the contravention to the Act made by the person. No contravention shall be compounded unless the amount involved in such contravention is quantifiable. Any second or subsequent contravention committed after the expiry of a period of three years from the date on which the contravention was previously compounded shall be deemed to be a first contravention. The Compounding Authority may call for any information, record or any other documents relevant to the compounding proceedings. The Compounding Authority shall pass an order of compounding after affording an opportunity of being heard to all the concerns as expeditiously and not later than 180 days from the date of application made to the Compounding Authority. Compounding Authority shall issue order specifying the provisions of the Act or of the rules, directions, requisitions or orders made there under in respect of which contravention has taken place along with details of the alleged contraventions.
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