Ministry of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism says the National Single Window platform has cut the processing time for import and export licences from 14 days to three days.
The ministry’s deputy director of investment Diamond Chikhasu, speaking on Friday in Blantyre on the sidelines of a training session for commercial entities that use the window, said the system has lessened the hustle of visiting several government institutions to process an import licence.
interaction. | Andrew Mtupanyama
He said: “Prior to the introduction of this system, traders used to visit various government agencies to get an import or export licence, but with the introduction of the national single window, they will no longer be visiting multiple government agencies to get a licence.
“They will just go online and make an application and the application will be processed online in the various government departments and the client will get feedback online as well.”
Chikhasu said the system will bring many benefits to the business community as it will reduce human interaction, which leads to bribes and corruption.
“According to our service charter, one is supposed to get a licence within 14 days, but we have programmed this system so that it should issue a licence within three days,” he said.
IQRTM/Innscor Distribution Limited accountant Barry Mkorongo, who was one of the participants, said the web-based system is helping importers and exporters to spend less time and money to process documents.
“This system is eliminating some of the challenges that importers and exporters were facing when applying for licences,” he said.
Mkorongo said previously, they were supposed to visit a number of government offices to process documents.
“Sometimes documents would get lost and one would be expected to resubmit, but now within two to three days the permit is issued,” he said.
The National Single Window is a unified online platform that streamlines submission, processing and issuance of certificates, licences and permits for international trade.
The system provides a one-stop shop for all required approvals, thereby reducing time and complexity.
