Zimbabwe economic operators who are involved in international trade (imports and exports) should expect an improvement in the way they submit their international trade documents to Government agencies. The Government is working with United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to implement a single window system for the economic operators.
The single-window system is a trade facilitation idea which enables international traders to submit regulatory trade documents at a single portal or location and/or single entity. Such documents include ZIMRA Bill of Entry, applications for import/export permits, export/import licences and other supporting documents such as certificates of origin, health certificates, phytosanitary certificates and trading invoices.
The initiative will therefore include Government departments which issue documents required for shipping of goods across the Zimbabwe borders such as ZIMRA, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry, Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), Ministry of Mines, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA), Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)
The rate at which the single window concept will be implemented in Zimbabwe shall largely depend on the management commitment of the respective institutions involved. Generally speaking, there are about twenty two institutions involved in importation and exportation of various products. By default, it is expected that among these institutions there are duplicated processes, manual operations and different efficiency levels.
The single window concept will then have to start with re-engineering of the processes leading import or export of goods. Afterwards, a portal will be designed and implemented. Economic traders will then begin to apply for or submit their documents through the established portal. The regulatory institutions will then have to fetch data which is aligned to their legal mandates from the established central portal.
There is no doubt there is a lot of work which needs to be carried out by the regulatory institutions including resources and computerisation of their operations to enable them to be able to fetch, store and use the data from the central system. Zimbabwe is already behind most of the African countries which have similar industrial structure. In addition, this tool will greatly improve on ease of doing business in international trade, though it may not imprive the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index, unless if the re-engineering process takes away some of the required documents and processes.
It is therefore important for the economic operators to understand how the development is unfolding so that their associations may take the opportunity to lobby for and participate in the re-engineering of processes. It is equally important for the economic operators and Government agencies to ensure that they acquire stable internet for this noble initiative of Single Window concept for Zimbabwe.
