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Online tool to ease cross-border trade in Namibia

Xinhua, February 27, 2017 Adjust font size:

Namibia moved a step closer to implementing a National Single Window, an online tool to ease cross-border trade that has been supported by technical assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Namibia Inter-Ministerial Workshop on establishing an operating authority for the country's National Single Window for Trade was opened on Monday.

The event attracted both the public and private sector stakeholders who are determined to develop the operational structure of a body to implement the single window.

U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affaires John Kowalski said the single window technology facilitates the exchange of trade-relevant information between traders and government agencies, as well as among government agencies, for obtaining permits and licenses, certificates and necessary approvals.

"It does so by allowing traders and agents to submit trade documents and data in electronic or paper form, through a single entry point. This reduces the time it takes to clear goods and reduces the costs of doing business," he added.

Kowalski said USAID has supported the implementation of Namibia's National Single Window for several years and the idea has already been successfully implemented in many other countries.

"When Ghana introduced a National Single Window, customs revenue increased by 50 percent in the first year while, simultaneously, the time and cost of exporting shrank by 65 percent," he said. Enditem