Professional Documents
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United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
application interconnection among those stakeholders A truly integrated Single Window TF system should
adds an additional layer of complexity in trade include various stakeholders participating in the
transactions. transition or migration process (figure 1). If the system
is not reflected in the national ICT policy and plans
The existence of various stakeholders means that and regarded as a stand-alone initiative, integration
traders are faced with a huge number of different and collaboration with other government agencies and
regulations and documental requirements, including private sector might prove difficult. ICT infrastructure
several signatures needed from various PIAs. and human resource requirements of TF should also
Participants at the WTO Symposium on Trade be reflected in the national ICT strategy, because they
Facilitation held in March 1998 identified the following require a much broader intervention from authorities
important issues concerning the inefficient trade responsible for ICT capacity building and infrastructure
facilitation, as summarized below: (ESCAP, 2006).
• Excessive data and documentation requirements;
Figure 1
• Lack of transparency and use of pre-ruling The electronic Single Window: connecting all stakeholders
systems, as well as unclear and unspecified
import and export requirements;
Transport and
Sypply Chain Customs
• Inadequate procedures and a lack of audit-based Logistics
2
In this respect, the fundamental question should be Preparations needs to be made ahead of each phase
“where to start?” The degree of ICT application for of the transition or migration procedure, from a paper-
TF would depend on each country’s ICT capacities, based to a simplified, automated, paperless trading
including ICT infrastructure. In addition, the success system. Clearly, this does not happen overnight, even
of any implementation would depend on whether in the best case scenarios. It can take years to migrate
the paper-based system itself had been properly from one system to another (figure 2). Some countries
streamlined and simplified sufficiently to ensure are far more advanced in adopting of ICT for TF than
conversion into an electronic format. others. As described in figure 2, TF systems (portals)
have evolved in stages over the years and countries
One of the important basic principles is “never to are at various stages through both national and regional
automate present processes: that merely makes an initiatives (figure 3).
unsatisfactory system faster” (ESCAP, 2006).
• Mapping stakeholders, influencers and potential Pre-single National Eighty-five plus countries (world wide)
partners; Window have adopted UNCTAD’s ASYCUDA
portals platform
• Assessment on the ICT awareness-level of key Single National Australia (Tradegate), Hong Kong,
stakeholders; Window China (DTTN), Japan (NACCS),
• Simplification and standardization of documents portals Republic of Korea (KTNet), Malaysia
(Dagong Net), Singapore (TradeNet),
and procedures;
Thailand (TradeSiam)
• A review of existing ICT-related legal and Regional, Multinational, ASEAN Single Window initiative
regulatory frameworks; multinational regional
• Mapping existing transaction processes and portals
• Risk assessment and management; Source: The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in
• Examining the system designs and specifications; Developing Countries, 2006, vol. 26, issue 3, pages 1-27.
• Extensive capacity-building initiatives;
Some of the factors contributing to the successful
• Greater cooperation and partnerships with all
interested parties; and implementation of ICT-enabled TF systems include:
• Setting up monitoring mechanisms. • Commitment and political will from the highest
levels of Government;
Figure 2
Evolution of trade portals: towards a Single Window
• Gradual phased implementation through various
concurrent processes, involving all stakeholders,
global trade portal
including Government agencies, private sector
and other players in trade transactions and
operations;
>2010s?
• Simplification and harmonization of trade
procedures and re-engineering of inefficient
Stage 4: Integrated processes and documentation;
Global Trade Portal
Value
Added
>2008
• Introduction of international conventions,
>1995 Stage 3: Regional, standards, codes and other instruments (e.g.,
Multi-national Portal
>1981 UN/CEFACT, WCO data models, etc.);
<1980s Stage 2: National SW
3
However, the true success of the strategy depends demonstrate strong political leadership and commitment
on subsequent efforts. Some of the prerequisites to to create a positive enabling environment; this requires
automation includes: process re-engineering through upgrading existing and/or development of new
technology; introducing inter-operable systems with infrastructure, modifying existing regulatory practices
all parties involved; and enabling them to switch from and/or adopting of new legislations.
paper-based to paperless Single Window TF system.
Building the capacity of national institutions and the
trade community in ICT application for TF is needed
to enhance the technical capacities of countries.
Policy recommendations Public-private partnerships can contribute to building
the capacity and optimizing the performance of
relevant authorities through the use of emerging new
Countries may have different levels of automation technologies and conforming to new international
and priorities and issues in terms of ICT application standards.
for TF. As described earlier, ICT has transformed
international trade operations and affected global trade. 3. Regional cooperation and partnerships
Developing countries, particularly least developed
countries (LDCs) and landlocked developing countries In the context of regional cooperation, some developing
(LLDCs), must be proactive and ensure appropriate countries with ICT achievements should come
planning and implementation of ICT application for forward. A country with sufficient advancements in the
TF in order to reap the benefits of technological automation of Customs and other border agencies
advances, reduce transaction time and costs, increase has already achieved many of the TF features through
transparency, enhance supply capacities, create their own efforts. Technical cooperation among
business opportunities, and achieve the ultimate goal of countries is important to share best practices among
integrating into global knowledge economy and global border countries in order to harmonize documents and
trade portal. procedures to facilitate trade.
This Policy Brief on ICT Applications in the Knowledge Economy has been prepared by the Information,
Communication and Space Technology Division of ESCAP to provide a brief introduction on selected
ICT applications, identify issues for implementation, and provide policy direction for the promotion of
the applications. For further information on this Policy Brief, please contact: Mr. Siva Thampi, Chief,
Information, Communication and Space Technology Division (e-mail: thampi@un.org).