For long, the issuance of permits to importers and exporters, was characterised by trips to institutions.

This desire to acquire permission from authorities, however, often led to delays, sometimes losses and made doing business costly. That was then. Today, thanks to the $9m Uganda Electronic Single Window (UeSW) project, all importers and exporters need to acquire permits is internet connectivity.

Of the $ 9 million, $ 5 million has already been provided by Trademark East Africa, a development partner that has sup- ported various projects. UeSW is in conformity with international trade agreements seeking to facilitate trade, investment and ultimately improve the life of Ugandans.

WHAT IT IS

UeSW is an information technology (IT) based portal that facilitates submission, authentication and issuance of permits, licenses and all regulatory documentation by government minis- tries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

It was launched by the minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde, on November 4, 2016 at the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) headquarters in Nakawa, Kampala.

International trade players can now lodge regulatory information and documents once, using a single access entry electronic platform for purposes of fulfilling all import, export and transit trade documentation requirements.

On the portal www.uesw.go.ug-documents are submitted electronically to institutions for scrutiny, analysis and approval. UeSW electronically interfaced with other institution’s websites and portals.

On completion of electronic tasks (on submitted documents), permits are issued electronically to the applicants. UeSW is expected to expedite and simplify procedures on imports, exports and other related international trade clearance of goods. This will ease service delivery by MDAs.

Furthermore, this platform will establish a viable, simplified, standardized and integrated environment for cargo clearance in line with international standards.
UeSW will accordingly increase efficiency and reduce the cost of doing business.

INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED

Pilot agencies are Uganda Revenue Authority for issuance of preferential certificates of origin and customs clearances and Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) for standards certification procedures.

Others are ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries for inspection and certification services and ministry of Foreign Affairs for diplomatic cargo clearances.

National Drug Authority is responsible for issuance of drugs and medicines certifications, permits and clearances while ministry of Energy and Mineral Development for wet cargo certification, licensing, fuel marking and clearances

PROGRESS THUS FAR

The Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA): Interface of the UCDA system with the UeSW was successfully implemented on October 29, 2016. The approved Coffee quality certificate (for certifying exports) can now be exchanged with the electronic Single Window; this is done after approval by UCDA.

It is then written off in ASYCUDA World after a declaration is made and assessed by the declarant. There is no need for a physical quality certificate to be attached onto the Customs declaration before export of the coffee. As at the end of December 2016, over 1,157 certificates were received in the UeSW with over 466 successfully cleared through the Single Window.

URA – e-Preferential Certificate of Origin: It is now possible for exporters to do self-registration and member- ship application through the Uganda Electronic Single Window (UeSW) system; approval is done online.

The application for the preferential certificate of origin can be done through the UeSW system. There are two printout options depending on where the certificate will be presented; printing on pre-printed form or electronically generated certificate in PDF.

At the moment, all the EAC preferential certificates of origin to Rwanda are PDF-generated; more than 200 certificates have been processed and are being accepted in Rwanda.

Clients are also presenting some PDF-generated certificates of origin to Kenya. Countries can verify the authenticity/validity of the preferential certificate of origin using the certificate reference electronically on the UeSW portal from anywhere around the world so long as one is connected to the internet.

Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS): The development and testing was done and deployment on the live system took place on October 29, 2016.

Currently, over 20,000 inspection requests have been sent from UeSW and 15,000 inspection reports received from UNBS e-portal before release of the consignment by Customs. Nine more institutions will be added to the UeSW platform by the end of 2017. In future, more institutions will issue permits using the UESW.

The writer works with the Public & Corporate Affairs unit in URA