PSW extends operations to dry ports in Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistan Single Window (PSW) has extended its operations to all dry ports (except Quetta) with effect from May 3, 2023, a move that is aimed to facilitate the country’s cross-border trade operations, a statement said on Monday.

With the new development, goods and commodities clearance of commercial consignments classified under Chapters 1 to 50 of the Pakistan Customs Tariff has been completely switched to PSW, allowing clearance of imported consignments via submission of a Single Declaration (SD).

The SD is a core feature of the PSW system which enables parties involved in international trade to lodge standardised information and documents at a single-entry point to meet the regulatory requirements of multiple government agencies simultaneously.

Currently PSW facilitates the clearance of imported items regulated by the Department of Plant Protection, Animal Quarantine Department, Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department, and Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority through the electronic issuance of import permits, release orders, and export certificates.

As the leading public sector entity responsible for the digital transformation of cross-border trade and the notified operator of the Pakistan Single Window system, the development was a significant milestone in improving the ease of doing business through the streamlining and digitalisation of clearance processes, a press release of PSW stated.

The CEO of Pakistan Single Window Syed Aftab Haider commented on the initiative, saying “The extension of PSW’s digitalisation initiative to up-country dry ports is the latest in our steady effort to enable an increasingly seamless clearance process and improve trade facilitation in the country. As partners of the traders’ community, we believe that availing this new hassle-free, cost-effective, and harmonised system will expedite trade processes significantly.”

He assured traders that the services of PSW at dry ports were easy to leverage and encourage reaching out to PSW via designated channels for information and ready assistance.

Haider urged that to stay effective, stakeholders must embrace digital platforms and services that make it easier for stakeholders to work together to promote the efficiency of the overall ecosystem.

PSW views the dry ports as intricate partner networks that include terminal operators, trucking and logistics companies, clearing agents, freight forwarders etc. and fully supports the modernisation of the customs and regulatory processes implemented at the dry ports.