AVN Report
KARACHI: With the aim of expediting port processes and enhancing airport services, the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) has recently unveiled plans to introduce two crucial systems — Port Community System and Airport Community System.
The Port Community System, scheduled for a September 2023 launch at Karachi, Gwadar, and Port Qasim, is designed to streamline vessel and port clearance procedures by establishing a unified digital platform. Similarly, the Airport Community System is set to connect and optimize functions and services across the nation’s airports.
Syed Aftab Haider, the CEO, has revealed that the PSW currently caters to 69,000 users, including importers and exporters, who are effectively leveraging its paperless features. This user base is projected to grow to 80,000, encompassing all relevant stakeholders.
The PSW has already demonstrated its dedication to trade facilitation by eliminating 46 documents, digitizing 145 documents, electronically verifying 83 documents, and re-engineering 111 processes. These efforts have resulted in substantial operational streamlining.
From an economic perspective, the complete implementation of the PSW holds substantial promise, with an estimated potential direct saving of $430 million for Pakistan’s economy. These savings will primarily arise from reduced documentation and border compliance expenses.
The imminent launch of the Port Community System marks the initial phase of digitizing port processes. This phase will consolidate tasks such as payments, health checks, immigration, customs, and vessel clearance. Similarly, the Airport Community System will unite various stakeholders, leading to an annual reduction of 80,000 documents.
Haider has also unveiled plans to overhaul the transit trade regime, with the goal of establishing a uniform cross-border trade procedure that simplifies processes for traders across nations. International consultants are actively engaged to ensure a seamless transition with robust safeguards against smuggling.
On the international front, the PSW is seamlessly integrated with China’s International Trade Single Window, facilitating data exchange to mitigate under-invoicing risks. Negotiations are underway to establish agreements for data sharing with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
The significance of the PSW extends beyond mere automation, encompassing comprehensive business process reengineering. The standardization of trade documents and integration of QR codes are enhancing efficiency across customs, port community systems, trade information portals, B2B transactions, and digital payments throughout the supply chain.
Numerous government departments, including customs, plant protection, and animal quarantine, have successfully integrated with the PSW. Ongoing integration efforts with other major organizations further reinforce the PSW’s pivotal role in trade facilitation.
As part of a global initiative, the PSW’s connections with IBM/Maersk’s Trade Lanes and China Single Window underscore its international outreach. Similar collaborations with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Egypt are in progress to bolster data reliability and compliance with customs and trade regulations, thereby curtailing under-invoicing and illicit trade activities.
