Finance Ministry notifies governing council of Pakistan Single Window

KARACHI: The Ministry of Finance has notified the governing council of Pakistan Single Window, as the Pakistan Single Window Act, 2020 will be promulgated on July 1, 2021, a notification suggested.

The Pakistan Single Window is a transformational project for reducing time, cost and complications, while ensuring better compliance with the cross-border trade regulations.

The council will comprise Federal Minister-in-Charge for Finance and Revenue as Chairperson; Secretaries of the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Ministry of National Health Services, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Narcotics Control, Additional Secretary (Economic Affairs), Prime Minister Secretariat, Member Customs-FBR and Chief Executive Officer of the operating entity, as members.

In addition, four additional members who are specialists in the areas related to international trade, logistics information and communication technology and corporate governance will be included from the private sector upon recommendations of the chairperson.

The Secretariat of the Pakistan Single Window will be established at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) with sub-offices in Karachi and Lahore, it noted.

According to the Ministry of Finance, Pakistan Customs will be the lead agency of the Pakistan Single Window operations and Member Customs would serve as the secretary of the council, while special judges of Customs and taxation will be the judge for trying offences under the provisions of the Pakistan Single Window Act, 2020.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that the implementation of Pakistan Single Window would bring $500 million annual savings and reduce cargo clearance time from days to hours by integrating over 75 regulatory departments. The Act will pave the way for ease in imports and exports.

In April this year, the revenue authorities had inaugurated the Pakistan Single Window Company in Islamabad as part of the compliance with the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

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