Implementation delay of National Single Window frustrates Sri Lanka’s exporters

Sri Lanka’s export community is calling for swift implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) to enhance operational efficiencies.

Despite multiple meetings and workshops aimed at launching the NSW, tangible progress is yet to be seen, with no clear deadline in sight for its completion.

Exporters in Sri Lanka often face significant hurdles in cross-border control procedures due to a pervasive silo mentality and limited inter-agency cooperation.

Traders must submit extensive information and documents to various government authorities to meet import, export, and transit regulations, a process that is frequently cumbersome and repetitive.

“As global trade volumes continue to rise, the strain on these outdated systems becomes even more pronounced. The result is a slow, resource-intensive, and time-consuming environment that hampers economic growth and undermines the competitiveness of developing countries in the global market,” said National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) President Jayantha Karunaratne.

He asserted that the adoption of more integrated and streamlined border control procedures through the implementation of a NSW can significantly enhance efficiency by providing a single platform for the submission of standardized information and documents.

By enhancing coordination among various government agencies, the NSW would facilitate quicker and more accurate processing of trade-related documents, ultimately boosting the ease of doing business in Sri Lanka, added Karunaratne.

In 2016, The World Bank Group, along with other international organisations, began supporting Sri Lanka in developing the NSW, focusing on enhancing trade facilitation and reducing the time and cost associated with cross-border trade. In March 2018, the World Bank shared the operational model for the portal. 

The development of the technical infrastructure for the NSW began after extensive consultation programmes, with a focus on integrating various government agencies and creating a user-friendly platform that could handle all trade-related procedures electronically. 

The government had planned to establish this system by 2022, but progress was delayed due to various constraints faced by the ministry.

In his Budget speech for 2024, President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced a Rs.200 million allocation for the implementation of the NSW in Sri Lanka.

In early 2024, the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies decided to establish a dedicated Project Implementation Unit (PIU) to implement the proposed Trade National Single Window System Project. Applications were called from eligible candidates within the existing government service for PIU positions.