Karachi, September 14, 2023 – In a significant step toward enhancing trade efficiency and transparency, the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) and the Sindh Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control (ET&NC) Department have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to integrate the Sindh ET&NC Department with the PSW system.
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This integration allows various Sindh ET&NC services, including the collection of the Sindh Infrastructure Development Cess (SIDC), submission of applications/requests for SIDC exemption/waiver, and the recording and release of Bank Guarantees, to be accessed and availed through the PSW platform. Furthermore, PSW will also provide the Sindh ET & NC Department with integration to its Motor Vehicle Registration system, enabling access to and verification of information related to imported and auctioned vehicles at the time of registration.
Sindh ET&NC becomes the first provincial department to seamlessly integrate its cross-border trade processes with the PSW. Leveraging process re-engineering and backend automation, PSW facilitates the transparent exchange of data between traders, Pakistan Customs, and Sindh ET&NC, thus streamlining the collection of Cess.
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PSW offers an interactive and user-friendly interface to the Sindh ET&NC Department, providing a range of utilities to ET&NC officers, including Management Information System (MIS) reports concerning SIDC Bank Scroll, SIDC Payment details, Exemption, and Bank Guarantee reports.
CEO of PSW, Syed Aftab Haider, stated, “PSW is an emerging success story for digitalization and integration of government processes and approvals both at the national and international levels. By expanding the system to provincial authorities and private sector service providers, PSW is moving towards creating a truly national platform for cross-border trade. We are grateful to the Sindh ET&NC authorities for supporting this initiative.”
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The Pakistan Single Window initiative, led by Pakistan Customs, aims to reduce the time and cost of doing business by digitalizing cross-border trade in Pakistan and eliminating paper-based manual processes. As a public sector company incorporated under Section 42 of the Companies Act, 2017, PSW has been designated as the ‘Operating Entity’ of the PSW system by the Federal Government under the provisions of the PSW Act, 2021.
The overarching goal of PSW is to establish an integrated electronic platform that allows all parties involved in international trade and transport to submit standardized information and documents through a single-entry point, streamlining the fulfillment of import, export, and transit regulatory requirements.
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To ensure the optimal benefits of the PSW system for traders and public sector regulators, Section 3(3) of the PSW Act 2021 mandates Customs and Other Government Agencies (OGAs) to align their respective laws, regulations, procedures, processes, and information requirements related to the regulation of imports, exports, transit trade, and associated transport with the Pakistan Single Window.
