Tuesday 7 May 2024
(L-R): Chief Trade Officer- David Yakam, Minister for International Trade & Investment- Hon. Richard Maru, E.U representative Dr Hans Lambrecht, UNCTAD representative- Wycliffe Ngwabe and NTFC Chairman & Chief Commissioner Customs- David Towe posing for a group picture last Friday at Gateway Hotel during the PNG Electronic SW Blueprint handover ceremony.
The proposed electronic Single Window System is important to help facilitate trade in Papua New Guinea.
Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru said the number one priority area of the Marape/Rosso Government is economic growith, adding, “This will happen on the back of trade, where we see exports going out and investors coming in with investment dollars.”
He made these remarks during a handover ceremony of the electronic Single Window Blueprint report by National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) chairman and Chief Commissioner of Customs Mr David Towe last Friday 3 May 2024, in Port Moresby.
According to Mr Maru, the SW blueprint once finalised will be submitted to National Executive Council (NEC) for national government funding next year is of important significance to trade in PNG.
“It as taken us a long time, but while I am minister responsible, we have to deliver within the next three years,” Mr Maru said.
NTFC chairman and Chief Commissioner of Customs, Mr David Towe stated that the NTFC was formed under the World Trade Organisation’s national trade facilitation agreement.
“Under this agreement, we coordinate close to thirty-two government agencies and twenty-two agencies were able to participate in this exercise to produce this SW Blueprint report,” Mr Towe said.
The purpose of this report is to create an electronic Single Window platform to enable an ease of doing business in PNG via international trade to attract foreign investors into our country.”
The blueprint studies the current systems and processes of the 22 government agencies; how they facilitate international trade in terms of imports and exports and which SW system can be tailored to meet PNG’s need.
For PNG to attract investors and boost its economy, an efficient way of doing international trade is needed to cut time, cost, increase digital trade and facilitating inter-government cooperation and coordination related to trade regulations.
Chief Trade Officer, Mr Richard Yakam said the SW once established will enhance PNG’s competitiveness in the world in facilitating trade seamlessly and improve the ease of doing business for the business community as well as inter-agency collaboration in trade.
“This project, once up and running will also achieve some of the objective National Trade policy, the MTDP 4 and draft eCommerce strategy Road map currently being developed,” Mr Yakam said.
The PNG Electronic Single Window Blueprint is sponsored by European Union and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).