The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Customs Services Chief Commissioner, Mr. David Towe, recently announced a significant development in trade facilitation with the introduction of the electronic Single Window program.
This program follows a comprehensive study conducted by the PNG Customs Service into the current setup of various agencies involved in import and export clearance processes.
That study was focused on analyzing the existing arrangements, whether they are manual or semi-automated processes, in line with the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement.
As part of this effort, the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) was established, chaired by the Chief Commissioner himself and comprised of 23 State-owned Enterprises (SOEs).
The primary objective of this initiative was to streamline trade processes by creating a unified platform accessible to all importers and exporters.
This is because currently, businesses have to navigate through different regulatory agencies to obtain permits, licenses, and fulfill other requirements.
The electronic single window platform aims to simplify this process by allowing users to submit declarations, license applications, permit applications, and import and export declarations through a single interface.
Under the proposed system, regulatory agencies would operate behind the scenes of the single window platform, enabling importers and exporters to access the platform and significantly reducing administrative burdens and enhancing efficiency.
Several countries have already implemented similar platforms successfully, and PNG aims to adopt and integrate such technology.
While private sector entities have been successfully connected to the single window platform, the project aims to bridge the gap between the private and public sectors, so to enable agencies to utilize the customs single window system for various processes like tax payments related to customs import duties.
The program represents a significant step forward in modernizing trade processes, improving transparency, and facilitating smoother transactions for businesses in PNG.