Samoa moves towards national single window system

By Ioana Tupa’i 18 November 2017, 12:00AM

The Samoa government is hoping to develop and implement an electronic national single window system with the assistance of the World Bank. 

The electronic national single window system is a trade facilitation concept that helps to monitor exports and imports for a particular country and the one-day workshop held earlier in Apia this week focused on introducing the concept to all key stakeholders.

With the use of this single window system, traders are able to effectively submit information via a single electronic gateway without paper work. 

This system aims to facilitate traders in discharging all the regulatory obligations related to import or export with the relevant authorities.

It is expected to include permits, exemptions, approvals and the clearance of goods procedures involving multiple government agencies.

“Most importantly how we can utilize the trade facility opportunities to reduce trade cost and to improve the business environment and export trade,” Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour C.EO., Pulutou Lyndon Chu Ling said. 

“I hope at the end of this, we would have been able to draw a concept for Samoa’s National Single Window and to identify a path towards achieving it.”

The workshop was funded by the World Trade Organisation. 

Samoa has been a member of the World Trade Organization since May 10, 2012.

Samoa is the 75th W.T.O. member and the first small Pacific Island member to ratify the Trade Facilitation Aagreement which came into force in February 2017.

By Ioana Tupa’i 18 November 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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