Single+Window+Evolution

//Over the last few decades the Single Window (SW) concept and functionalities have evolved from a Customs automation system to a platform that encompasses advanced national and regional trade facilitation objectives. Today, in Asia, Africa and the EU there are major on-going projects for establishing regional SW platforms.// =Form of a Single Window and its evolution= The Single Window concept has evolved over many years, starting with the simplification of trade procedures in the 1950s and continuing with the development of various forms of automated Customs and related systems. The Proceedings of the UN Regional Commissions Global Trade Facilitation Conference 2011 analysed this evolution and proposed classification of the different SW systems into: a) limited forms of SWs, including Customs SW, Port SWs or Port Community Systems, and subnational SWs; b) national SWs; and c) regional SWs. This classification is based on the different services and functions that are integrated into the SW.

Figure 2 – Stages of Single Window Development

Source: Jonathan Koh Tat Tsen “10 years of Single Window implementation” 2011 ** Customs Automation Era - ** In the 1960s and 1970s, Customs authorities first began to automate their functions using systems such as __ [|ASYCUDA] __ (Automated System of Customs Data) provided by UNCTAD. ** Trade Point Portals – ** Then national Trade Point Portals were developed. They serve as a source for trade-related information, providing traders with data about business and market opportunities. They were originally developed to serve as gateways to global electronic networks with national Trade Points interconnected in a worldwide electronic network. ** EDI / Value Added Network – ** At a later stage, they evolved as the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)/Value Added Network (VAN), where EDI is used for trade exchanges, communicated through a VAN provider. Many countries have adopted the EDI approach for trade documentation. Examples include the Singapore TradeNet (1989), the Chinese Taipei EDI network for Customs clearance (1992), the Mauritius TradeNet (1994), Japan’s Trade and Settlement EDI System (TEDI) (1998) and the SaudiEDI project in Saudia Arabia (2002). ** Limited Single Windows - ** Customs, Port Single Windows and Port Community Systems are variations of limited SWs. They provide a single interface between the trading community and the Customs/Port Authority and usually don’t fully cover all the permits and licensing of the other government agencies. The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service Integrated Cargo System is an example of Customs Single Windows. Examples of Port Single Windows include Finland’s PortNet System (1993). Port Community Systems are for found in the UK (Felixstowe Port Community System (established in 1984) and India (established in 2007).  Sub-national SW systems in which the local trade community and regulatory agencies can be grouped together at a city or provincial level in a trade community system are another type of limited SW systems. An example is the Shanghai Easipass Platform in China.   ** National Single Window - ** National Single Windows are nationwide facilities that provide for all parties (regulatory agencies and the trading community) to submit standardized information once only, at a single entry point, to fulfil all import, export and transit-related regulatory requirements. Extended variants of national SWs include business-to-business transactions. According the World Bank’s // Trading Across Borders 2012 Report //, 49 economies provide a Single Window. Out of these, 20 have SW systems in place that link all government agencies, 29 of them do not. ** Regional/Global Single Window - ** ASEAN was one of the first organizations to consider developing a regional SW project. The ASEAN Single Window is planned for 2015, with some cross-border transactions expected to begin in 2013. In Africa, there is the Trans-Kalahari Single Window connecting Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. The European Community has two major SW initiatives: the Directorate-General Taxation and Customs Union has a community-level SW, and the Maritime SW of the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport aims to provide electronic exchange between the operators of maritime transporters within the EU. The next stage in Single Window evolution lies in connecting national SWs in global networks that will facilitate cross-border trade and the sharing of information over an international supply chain. Next Single Window Implementation