The government is set to establish an electronic portal that brings all government agencies dealing with exports and imports under one platform, the National Board of Revenue said yesterday.

To be termed the National Single Window, the portal will ensure faster processing of trade-related documents and clearance, which will facilitate faster and increased cross-border trade, the revenue authority said.

“Businesses will be benefited from the establishment of the National Single Window as all the government departments will come under one umbrella,” said MA Mannan, state minister for finance and planning.

Mannan's comments came at the inauguration of a four-day workshop at Grand Sultan Tea Resort & Golf at Sreemangal in Sylhet, organised by the NBR and the World Customs Organisation.

NBR Chairman Md Nojibur Rahman said it would be tough to implement the window without ensuring effective coordination among the revenue authority, commerce, finance and planning, food, industries, agriculture ministries and the other related departments.

“Participation from businesses is also important,” he said.

An NSW allows a single point of entry for submission of data and information, re-use of data and information to avoid repeated keying-in of data, single synchronous processing of data and information and quick and easy release and clearance of cargo.

“First of all, the establishment and implementation of NSW are aimed at quick and less cumbersome clearance of goods,” said Khondoker Aminur Rahman, member for customs modernisation and international trade at the NBR.

Second, this is the best example of having customs and all other government and private sector entities related to trade facilitation in a single platform for coordination and cooperation, he said.

The government has received a commitment of a substantial amount of fund from a development partner to implement the NSW.

The project is at the final stage of approval from the government, he added. “Ideally, a single window benefits all,” said Mohammad Ehteshamul Hoque, first secretary of customs modernisation and international trade at the NBR.

The government gets increased revenue for better compliance by traders.

Businesses also can clear their goods faster in a more transparent and predictable process and there would be less bureaucratic tangles.

The economy also benefits because of improved transparency and governance, reduced corruption and fewer opportunities for physical interaction, he added.

Md Lutfor Rahman, member for customs policy at NBR, and WCO's Rajendra Meena also spoke among others at the workshop.