Namibia has started implementing a single customs window in order to realise the country’s vision of being ranked in the top quartile of countries in terms of speed, efficiency and cost of trading across borders within the next five years, according to customs and excise director Susan Beukes.
Speaking in Swakopmund at the 10th annual Namibian Logistics and Transport Workshop, Beukes said Namibia was currently ranked 106th out of 190 economies in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business index.
The necessary enabling legislation is in place and a company has been registered by the ports utility Namport as the operator of the Namibia Single Window. It will be funded by fees charged for its services to the industry.
“Single Window is defined as a facility that allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardised information and documents with a single entry point to fulfil all import, export, and transit-related regulatory requirements. If information is electronic, then individual data elements should only be submitted once,” she said.
The single window process includes the establishment of one-stop border posts. It is estimated that the single window will save exporters and importers using Namibia R94-R156 million a year. Single windows have resulted in savings of US$1.8 billion a year in South Korea, US$1 billion a year in Malaysia, and US$24 million for Port Klang. Phase 1 has commenced, and it is expected to be fully operational by March 2020.
