Transcript Single Window Development and Implementation Experience of Mauritius

Single Window Development and
Implementation
Experience of Mauritius
UNECE CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP ON
TRADE FACILITATION IMPLEMENTATION:
TOOLS, TECHNIQUES AND METHODOLOGIES
18 – 20 October 2004, Geneva
Background to the initiative
Strategy of Mauritius in the early 1990s:

After the success of the EPZs (mainly in the textile
industry), plan to strengthen the economy through the
further diversification of economic activities

Decision to increase investment and services in IT

Recommendations to that end by the World Bank in
1993, followed by several studies

One of the feasibility studies: establishment of an
network to facilitate the processing of trade documents
by electronic means
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Design and development process


An extensive analysis was carried out by the public
authorities in Mauritius
the most important aspect of the project – submission,
processing and approval of declarations and permits by
electronic means, and provision of information on the
movement of goods – were defined

intensive discussions with potential partners (locally and
abroad) and future users were initiated

The Mauritius Network Services Ltd. was incorporated
on 15th. April 1994 as a private company
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Structure of TradeNet

The Mauritius system – called TradeNet – is a joint
venture between
- Mauritian public and private sector interests
(representing the main actors of the economy), and
- a foreign partner providing know-how and experience

Shareholders of Mauritius Network Services Ltd. are:
- Maurinet Investments Ltd. (60% of equity)
- 53% held by 4 Mauritian public bodies, and
- 47% held by the Chamber of Commerce & Industry
- Crimson Logic Ltd. of Singapore (40% of equity)
(formerly Singapore Network Services Ltd.)
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Services of TradeNet

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Submission, processing and approval of declarations to
Customs within a 15-minute timeframe
Access to air and sea cargo manifests, ships’ arrivals
and departures, movement of containers, etc.

Notice of release of consignments

Processing and approval of import and export permits

Payment of duties by electronic means

Using TradeNet, a Contributions Network Project has
been launched, allowing the payment of various fees &
taxes (VAT, PAYE, Corp. Tax) and contributions
by
employers to the National Pensions Fund
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The technology behind TradeNet

The Mauritius TradeNet is an EDI-based network that
allows documents and trade information to be entered
into the system and electronically transmitted between
all parties involved in the movement of goods (imports
and exports) and the Customs Department

Linking with TradeNet at Customs level, a Customs
Management System (in fact a Single Window) allows
the automatic processing and approval of Customs
declarations and provides information

The system can be easily used with a PC, a
modem, a telephone line and a Declarant ID
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Participants in the Single Window

The participants in the Single Window are all the
Government Departments, business concerns and
other agencies involved in the country’s international
trade and movement of goods:
- the Customs & Excise Department
- importers, exporters and re-exporters
- freight forwarders
- the Port Authority and its cargo handling agency
- the shipping/airline companies and their agents
- the Ministry of International Trade
- the Chamber of Commerce & Industry
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Clients of MauriNet

The main users of the system are:
- the clearing and forwarding agents
- large firms who hire their own representatives for the
clearance/ forwarding of their consignments
- Ministries and other public bodies

Close to 400 public and private bodies/concerns are
currently linked to the Mauritius TradeNet system

Submissions can be made round the clock (24/7).
Over 1000 declarations on average are received
and processed every working day by the
country’s Customs & Excise Department
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Business model of TradeNet
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Joint-venture functioning 100% as a private concern
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Equity (± USD 1 million) provided by shareholders
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Monopoly of the service within the economic system
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Self-sustainability perspective right from the start
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Activities financed from 2 sources:
- a software single-user licence of $ 1300 at the outset
- a service fee of USD 5.- per declaration sent thru’ MNS
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Highly successful and profitable activity:
- share value multiplied by eight since 1994
- yearly dividends = ± 90% of funds invested
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Results of TradeNet

Reduction in processing time of Customs declarations
from days/several hours to 15 min.
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Declarations sent/information retrieved from one’s office
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Paper returns and payments eliminated
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One-stop process: one window → one interlocutor
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Reduction of errors thru’ the use of a standard software
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Harmonisation/control on deadlines and info frameworks
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Enhancement of transparency and productivity
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Conclusive public/private sector collaboration
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Considerable improvement in trade efficiency
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Lessons learned from TradeNet

Carefully planned and properly implemented, a Single
Window system is potentially self-sustainable, and even
highly profitable, anywhere in the world

Certain trade facilitation services directly involving the
business community succeed best thru’ joint initiatives
of Govt. departments and Private Sector institutions

Full engagement of the Ministries and Govt. agencies
concerned throughout is an absolute must
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Some parties will attempt to torpedo the initiative
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Regular technological updating is necessary
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Once telecoms is OK, a SW becomes a must
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What are the future plans for
the Single Window?

As already mentioned, the TradeNet system has made it
possible to set up an offshoot, the Contributions Network
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The Mauritian CMS is now used by the Ghana Customs

Plans for the future include:
- digitalisation of remaining Customs forms
- submission and approval of certificates of origin
- implementation of a risk management system
- selling of serially-numbered digitalised forms to traders
- introduction of an UNeDocs system enabling the
electronic exchange of trade documents
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