PESHAWAR: The Customs Department of Pakistan under the Federal Board of Revenue is working hard for the establishment of a National Single Window (NSW) for trade throughout its borders.
The NSW will allow the parties involved in the trade and transport to file the standardized information and documents at a single point of entry for all the imports, exports, and transit-related regulatory requirements.
This was stated by Assistant Collector Headquarters Asma Javed Paracha while giving an exclusive interview to Customs Today on Thursday at the Customs House Peshawar.
The Customs Department has so far trained more than 100 government officials from key trade regulators to better understand the challenges involved in institutionalizing Pakistan’s National Single Window for trade.
The National Single Window Initiative is one of the most critical reform efforts initiated in the trade-related public sector.
Assistant Collector Customs at Customs House Peshawar Asma Javed Paracha further informed Customs Today that this system has the capacity to transform and modernize the traditional way of doing business by introducing various trade-related processes and procedures in an automated and paperless environment leading to the significant saving of Pakistan’s trade in terms of time and cost. This development will also have a positive impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the public sector regulatory bodies. Around the world, bureaucratic processes that burden traders deter business and discourage exports.
A National Single Window will expedite the process of cross-border trade enabling businesses to expand their operations and the government to reduce unnecessary delays.
Asma Javed Paracha further informed CT that earlier the FBR and Customs Department had arranged a conference with an aim to familiarize the importers with digital technologies to facilitate the importers and exporters.
Boosting exports and enhancing the competitiveness of Pakistani industries is imperative to overcome the current trade imbalance. By making trade simpler, the National Single Window will unlock Pakistan’s economy:
The AC Headquarters informed the correspondent that the development of the National Single Window for trade in Pakistan will be implemented phase-wise over a span of four years. The National Single Window is only one component of the USAID’s enduring efforts to support Pakistan’s economic growth by enabling private sector investment, promoting a vibrant agricultural sector, fostering a strong business enabling environment, and expanding the trade opportunities.
USAID’s Pakistan Regional Economic Integration Activity is a five-year initiative that aims to improve the development of Pakistan’s trade sector. To support the objectives of Pakistan’s trade environment is building the institutional and human capacity of both public and private stakeholders.
Assistant Collector Headquarters at MCC Peshawar Asma Javed Paracha added that the USAID’s Training for Pakistan Activity is a multi-year initiative aimed at providing training in the areas of energy, economic growth and stabilization and governance in line with the development objectives of the Government of Pakistan.
AC Customs lauded the positive role of USAID in assisting the Customs Department in the implementation of standardized clearance procedures along its borders to facilitate the trade and provide favourable environment to economics.
Asma eulogized Collector Customs Mohammad Saeed Khan Jadoon to listen to the queries of Peshawar based importers and exporters.
