Awareness seminar: Single window system to facilitate border trade, say speakers

PESHAWAR: The trader community on Wednesday hailed the implementation of the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) system as a major step toward Ease of Doing Business (EoDB).

The PSW is an integrated system to facilitate cross-border trade.

They were speaking at an awareness seminar on the PSW system, organized by the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) in collaboration with the Pakistan Customs Department here at the Chamber’s House.

SCCI President Hasnain Khurshid chaired the session.

SCCI Senior Vice-President Imran Khan, Vice- President Javed Akhtar, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Engr Manzoor Elahi, Shuja Muhammad, Ghulam Hussain, S Minhajuddin, Sohail Javed, Syed Ejaz Ali Shah, Aftab Iqbal, Ihsanullah, Fazal-e-Wahid, Imtiaz Ahmad Ali, traders, exporters and importers were in attendance.

Additional Collector Customs Pakistan Single Window System, Salman Afzal and Deputy Collector Customs (Domain Officer PSW, Zaheer Abbas through a multimedia presentation apprised the participants of the main objectives of the PSW and how that would facilitate the cross-border trade.

The speakers hoped the system would play a pivotal role in easing cumbersome goods clearance processes at borders by integration with relevant multiple departments as well as bringing efficiency and transparency to the overall border management system.

They viewed the PSW system as a unique example of Ease of Doing Business which would boost mutual trade with landlocked Afghanistan and the rest of Central Asian Republics.

The Customs officials said the basic aim of the system was to reduce the cost and time in across border trade.

They said the PSW system would accelerate the clearing of goods trucks via borders to Afghanistan and onward trade to regional countries.

Salman Afzal pointed out that early clearing of consignments would put an end to heavy charges payment by traders under the heads of demurrage and detention.

The senior official said being a signatory of relevant World Trade Organisation protocols was bound to implement PSWS as that would remove physical interventions and bring more transparency and efficiency in the goods clearing and border management system.

Zaheer Abbas said over 15 commercial banks had been linked with the PSW system which would facilitate the trader community in e-payment through banks after which the condition of Export and Import Form will no longer remain mandatory after the introduction of a unified e-payment banking system.

SCCI President Hasnain Khurshid welcomed the implementation of the PSW system for cross-border trade and hoped it would improve the overall border management system.

He said the duplication in checking and scrutiny of documents/goods would be removed as well.