The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has become the first chamber in the country to launch NADRA e-Sahulat for the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) portal.
This initiative promises to significantly streamline and enhance the ease of doing business while improving the efficiency of cross-border trade.
KCCI President M. Shariq Vohra, alongside Additional Director PSW Naveed Abbas Memon, inaugurated NADRA e-Sahulat at the KCCI premises on Monday. This move is set to provide KCCI members with essential biometric verification for registration in the PSW portal, marking a pivotal moment in Pakistan’s business landscape.
Speaking at the inauguration, Naveed Abbas Memon highlighted the far-reaching benefits of the PSW facility. It is expected to reduce both time and costs associated with trade, simplify processes, and improve the overall quality of the experience for all stakeholders. Furthermore, it will enable government agencies to adopt an Integrated Risk Management approach for the effective enforcement of cross-border trade-related controls.
Under the PSW platform, an ICT-based Port Community System will be established, integrating all key stakeholders, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Customs, Terminal Operators, and more. This integration will enhance cargo management at seaports, airports, dry ports, and land border crossings, resulting in a more efficient and seamless trade environment. It is anticipated that all major components of PSW will be operational by June 2022, with a total of 74 government departments integrated into the system.
The implementation of PSW by June 2022 holds the potential to bring Pakistan into compliance with the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, positioning the nation as a trade and transit hub.
Naveed Abbas revealed that the PSW portal has already received 1,600 registrations, and 27 banks are set to integrate with PSW. This integration will alleviate the need for business community members to visit banks for Export and Import forms. Furthermore, government entities such as the Department of Plant Protection, Animal Quarantine Department, Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority, and Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department are in the process of integration. An MoU for the integration of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) is also on the horizon.
Another significant objective of the PSW platform is to establish and maintain a world-class cross-border trade-related information portal, enabling Pakistan to seamlessly integrate with other National, Regional, and Global Single Window Systems related to cross-border trade.
President KCCI Shariq Vohra expressed his appreciation for the transformative potential of the PSW initiative. He highlighted the role of the Karachi Chamber in launching a help desk for PSW, which will greatly benefit members of the business community. Vohra stressed the importance of devising IT-enabled services like PSW to facilitate business activities and streamline processes.
He emphasized the need for close coordination between the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and KCCI to ensure the success of PSW and other future initiatives. PSW has the potential to unite Pakistan’s entire trade community on a single platform, which will also contribute to expanding the country’s tax base.
Vohra encouraged representatives of industrial town associations and trade associations to inform their members about the availability of the NADRA e-Sahulat facility for PSW at KCCI. This will ensure that a maximum number of people can take advantage of this groundbreaking service.
The launch of NADRA e-Sahulat for the Pakistan Single Window is a significant step forward in the quest for greater transparency, efficiency, and ease of doing business in Pakistan, and the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry stands at the forefront of this transformation.