PSW launches new service to facilitate import & clearance of pesticides

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Single Window (PSW) has launched a new service to facilitate the import and clearance of pesticides in Pakistan.

As part of the service PSW has also deployed the unified registration system enabling electronic registration of pesticide products and premises with the Department for Plant Protection (DPP). The URS enables real-time validation of pesticide products and premises at the time of customs clearance.

Under Pakistan’s trade regulations, all imports of pesticides are subject to mandatory Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) by independent third parties, to ensure that imported pesticides conform to international and national requirements.

With a view to facilitate regulatory compliance, the module also allows PSI companies to electronically communicate inspection certificates with the PSW system, which are then made available to traders and relevant regulatory departments for verification.

PSW’s new module is based upon electronic validations driven by PSW’s integration with the DPP and the indigenously developed Integrated Tariff for Trade (ITT) which allows pesticide traders to provide 4-digit product codes while filing a declaration on the PSW system. The ITT allows PSW to derive relevant regulatory requirements for each consignment and automatically route it to the relevant DPP office for processing.

Syed Aftab Haider, CEO Pakistan Single Window, stated that the new services have simplified the inspection process and ensures consistent application of laws while at the same time reducing the time and cost involved in submission of paper based documents to multiple authorities. Electronic receipt of the PSI certificates further enhances the transparency and integrity of the process.

The new service is an important milestone in PSW’s mission to transform and digitize the cross-border trade landscape of Pakistan by enabling electronic validation and processing of trade consignments, thereby significantly reducing trade compliance costs and time.

The DPP is the first government department to have integrated with the PSW system and is currently offering services for electronic issuance of Import Permit (IP), Release Order (RO), and Export Certificate (EC) through the PSW platform. As of April 2023, DPP has processed more than 100,000 documents through PSW with 36% of import permits and 55% of export certificates processed and issue the same day resulting in substantial savings for the traders.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023