Pakistan Single Window

Table of Contents

By digitizing Pakistan’s cross-border trade and eliminating paper-based manual processes, the Pakistan Single Window (PSW), led by Pakistan Customs, intends to reduce the time and cost of conducting business. Under the provisions of the Pakistan Single Window Act, 2021, the Federal Government has recognized the Pakistan Single Window Company (PSWC), a public sector business constituted under Section 42 of the Companies Act, 2017 by Pakistan Customs, as the ‘Operating Entity’ of the PSW system. PSW intends to create an integrated electronic platform that allows parties participating in international trade and transportation to submit standardized information and documents through a single point of entry to meet all regulatory criteria for import, export, and transit.

Section 3(3) of the Act makes it mandatory for Customs and Other Government Agencies (OGAs) listed in the Act’s schedule to harmonize their respective laws, regulations, procedures, processes, and other information requirements related to the regulation of imports, exports, transit trade, and associated transport with PSW in order to ensure the PSW system maximizes benefits to traders and public sector regulators.

Functions

  • Using technology and new solutions to make it easier to comply with national legislation, particularly in the case of cross-border trade and related services.
  • Establish a single electronic platform to effectively meet the requirements for import, export, and transit trade regulation, as well as to assist the simplification, harmonization, and digitalization of related processes to increase ease of doing business and compliance.
  • Create a one-of-a-kind digital solution that transforms people, businesses, and communities in order to foster a high-performance trading environment, increase economic growth, and eventually empower people.
  • Establish a more agile organization that effects transformative change in the trade community and the world, think creatively, and take creative risks.
  • Reduce trade transaction time and costs for traders while outperforming regional norms in cross-border trading.
  • Increase Pakistan’s global ranking by at least 25% in cross-border trade-related measures.
  • Assist Pakistan in complying with the relevant terms of the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, particularly Article 10.4.

Governing Act

Pakistan Single Window Act, 2021

Governance and Business Model

Subscription

Subscription is the first step that grants users access to the PSW platform to avail services relating to cross-border trade and transit. This includes registration with Pakistan Customs for clearance and Other Government Authorities (OGAs) for issuance of regulatory licenses, permits, certificates, and other documents as well as electronic payments.

Elimination of EIF and EFE

PSW has eliminated the ‘Electronic Import Form’ (EIF) and ‘Electronic Form-E’ (EFE) for clearing import and export consignments in Pakistan. This has simplified the bank remittance process for international trade and transit.

  • In The PSW Portal > Registration

“Associate the New Profile” under the “Banks” section to associate (link) a banking profile with your profile in PSW.

  • Select Your Bank

Enter a valid IBAN, your registered email and Mobile number, and submit your banking profile for verification by AD through Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

  • Create Your Import/Export Declaration

Select your bank.

  • Associate Your Financial Instrument (Letter of Credit, Advance Payment, Contract/Collection Modes of Payment for Import/Export)

The bank will communicate details of import/export transaction financial instruments through EDI with PSW as per authorized payment modes allowed by the bank in the banking profile.

  • No Financial Instrument is Required for ‘Open Account’ Import/Export

For import warranting ‘Cash Margin’ requirement, simply approach your bank which will communicate the fulfillment of requirement through EDI to PSW.

  • Clearance Of Goods and Settlement of Remittance

Settlement of Financial Instrument is done by the bank after clearance of goods.

The User Manual for Single Declaration

The Single Declaration is a fundamental feature of the PSW. It allows trade to be facilitated through reducing the clearance cost and dwell time. It also permits parties which are involved in transport and trade to lodge standardized documents and information on an entry which is single point, to complete all the regulatory requirements of import, export and transit. Furthermore, the Single Declaration allows its users a single interface through which they can file export declarations. The users are to submit integrated import and export declarations, which comprise of all the regulatory/clearance information which the OGA’s need. If the forms/declarations are submitted separately, they will be eliminated.

Every single data field and requirements will be merged into a single data dictionary which will be according the WCO data model eliminating redundant information to allow single request and standardization for data fields and incremental data submission. The system will automatically route applications by virtue of declarations and mark them to the relevant OGAs for decisions as per the business rules which make it clear in determining which specific action is needed from each particular OGA for the consignment to be released.

The Integrated Risk Management System to select consignments for inspections, sampling, and testing and The Integrated Tariff Management System triggering regulatory and Customs compliance requirements are the basis upon which the declaration is to be filed. Furthermore, the concerned agencies will only be provided with the information by the trader which relates to them.

DPP User Manual for Traders and Customs Agent

This provides an all-in-one solution for online application filling and processing:

  • It meets all DPP’s requirements for processing Import Permit(s) and Export Certificates(s).
  • The trader/custom agent will be able to see a complete and detailed trail of the activity on the trader’s online request for an Import Permit or Export Certificate in the system.
  • The DPP will be equipped with a Dynamic User Management System (UMS) to guarantee proper performance monitoring against agreed-upon performance benchmarks and key performance metrics.
  • The PSW system will be used to communicate between the officer and the trader/custom agent.
  • The module facilitates trade regulation compliance through the system, which relies on the selection of an HS/Product Code-based description and import purpose, and through automation of LPCO (License, Permits, Certificates and Others) processing, it is allowed to clear consignments from the port efficiently.
  • It promotes digital transactions as they save time and money by allowing LPCO fees to be paid online. Lastly, ITMS-based product codes provide clarity and precision in assessing LPCO requirements for commodities being imported or exported.