ISLAMABAD, AUG 23 /DNA/ -– The Pakistan Single Window (PSW) conducted capacity-buildingsessions in Faisalabad and Gujranwala in collaboration with the All Pakistan Bedsheets & Upholstery Association of Pakistan (APBUMA) and the Seed Importers and Producers Association of Pakistan (SIPAP) as part of its Change Management component. The sessions were attended by a large number of importers and exporters transitioning to the Single Window system for cross-border trade.
During the session, the PSW team gave an overview of the PSW system and explained the various features and services being offered by PSW. The participants in Gujranwala were also given a walkthrough of the PSW e-Trade system integrating the Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department with PSW. The new service enables electronic filing and processing of import permits and release orders pertaining to FSC&RD and is gradually being rolled out across the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Zaheer Abbas, Domain Officer PSW stated “PSW is on a transformational journey for digitizing and realigning cross-border trade procedures with internationally recommended best practices. The integration of the FSC&RD is a big step forward towards facilitating seed imports and will save importers time and cost for imports”. He also acknowledged the active cooperation of FSC&RD for automating and integrating their business processes with PSW. The Chairman of SIPAP Mr. Mian Muhammed Azhar Siddique stated, “FSC&RD has been an important partner and collaborator of PSW and its officials and management have played a key role in achieving this integration”.
A high level of interest and participation was also observed by members of ABPUMA in the Faisalabad session.The PSW presentation by Mr. Salman Afzal, Domain Officer PSW was followed by an interactive Q&A session regarding export procedures and issuance of financial instruments by commercial banks. Representatives from the State Bank of Pakistan and the commercial banks dealing with international trade finance also attended the event.
Change management is an essential component of the PSW implementation strategy. Accordingly, an extensive change management framework has been developed to support the implementation of the PSW system and its various modules. Thisincludes a series of onsite and virtual learning activities including workshops, training modules, seminars and webinars, and trade shows for internal and external users, with a strong focus on digital engagement and the use of new technologies. The trainings are delivered by the PSW domain and IT teams in collaboration with different government departments and trade associations in various cities.To expand the training network, PSW intends to collaborate with private sector training firms and organizations through launching ‘Trainer Accreditation’ and ‘Training Partner’ programs.
The PSW system began rolling out in July 2021 and achieved phase 1 completion on June 30, 2022, in line with Pakistan’s commitment under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. It currently has more than 52,000 registered users. Services currently offered by the system include electronic customs registration, online processing, and issuance of import permits, Phyto-sanitary certificates, release orders and other documents pertaining to the above-mentioned government agencies, and digital payments. In addition to these services, PSW has also launched its Trade Information Portal providing a single access point for all information related to imports, exports, and transit also in compliance with Article 1.2 of the TFA.
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