National Single Window.

ADVISOR to Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to simplify the existing laws and regulations to help promoting trade with neighbouring countries. He asked FBR to carry out further consultations on the business plan for the establishment of NSW, with a view to having a broad-based consensus, before its formal approval.

FBR deserves appreciation for devising a system that would emerge as the overarching umbrella to automate public sector entities dealing with cross-border trade, providing an integrated single interface with the private sector to carry out imports, exports and transit trade. This will substantially improve Pakistan's ranking in 'ease of doing business' besides enabling the country to comply with its commitment under the Trade Facilitation Agreement of the World Trade Organisation. The NSW initiative is a key trade facilitation tool that is increasingly being adopted by many advanced as well as developing economies around the world. The project known as WinPak has clear advantages as it will link all key cross border trade-related regulatory authorities including Web-based One Customs on a single information and communication technology-based platform. This will help improve transparency and predictability in imports and exports while cutting down...