The soft launch of Nepal’s first National Single Window – configured with help from SGS – took place on January 26, 2021, the 69th International Customs Day.
The Honorable Mr. Bishnu Prashad Paudel, Minister of Finance unveils a plaque at the launch of the NNSW on the occasion of the 69th International Customs Day on January 26, 2021.
From left to right: Mr. Shisir Kumar Dhungana, Secretary – Ministry of Finance; The Honorable Mr. Bishnu Prashad Paudel, Minister of Finance; Mr. Suman Dahal, Director General of Department of Customs and Mr. Shekhar Golcha, President of the Federation of the Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
In July 2015, SGS was appointed by the Government of Nepal to supervise the design, procurement and implementation of both the Nepal National Single Window (NNSW) and the Nepal Trade Information Portal (NTIP) and continues to provide quality assurance and advisory services. We also assisted the Nepal Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) with the sourcing, compilation and publication of information on the portal.
Funded by the World Bank and operated by the Department of Customs, the NNSW currently connects three regulatory agencies related to international trade – The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, The Department of Livestock Services and the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center. In the future, 40 regulatory agencies will be connected to the NNSW.
NNSW: AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WORD TRADE ORGANIZATION’S TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT
Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, who launched the system, said that the new system has enabled the country’s Customs administration to reach an international standard. “The web interface facilitates the official procedures for import and export through an online system and helps make available information on the harmonized system code of various products and tax related issues.”
NTIP: SINGLE POINT ACCESS FOR ALL TRADE, ECONOMIC AND REGULATORY INFORMATION
NTIP provides the Nepal business community with a secure and personalized single entry point to all Nepal trade related information, such as information about regulatory requirements, trade procedures and fees. It also provides a searchable resource library for all available documents and materials related to trade in Nepal. NTIP is based on the World Bank Trade Portal Toolkit, which has been successfully implemented in a number of developing countries to facilitate the rapid deployment of national trade portals.
Source : SGS
