Malawi set to ease  doing of business

Malawi has moved to ease doing business environment through the rollout of Malawi National Single Window, which has reduced the import and export permit licensing waiting period from 14 days to less than three days. 

The single window is an electronic platform aimed at streamlining processes for import and export licensing, moving from manual to digital process.

In his remarks during the launch in Lilongwe on Monday evening, Minister of Trade and Industry Vitumbiko Mumba said the electronic platform being implemented under the Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project will reduce costs, enhance efficiency and curb corruption.

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He said: “One thing I discovered at the Ministry of Trade is that when people apply for import and export permits, it will take a month or two to get the permits to be processed.

“But with this one, it will take less time to have import or export permits applied, processed and approved.”

Mumba, who claimed to have signed 67 imports and exports permits manually on his first day in office as minister, described the process as time-wasting and unfriendly to trade, compounding non-tariff barriers to trade.

“With the digital platform, all you need is to print out because there is a quick response [QR] code which we use at the border and this is a genuine import or export licence.

“In terms of trade, it reduces the time which traders take to have their permits approved, so two months or weeks is a long time in terms of trade,” he said.

In a separate interview yesterday, Grain Traders Association of Malawi president Grace Mijiga Mhango described the window as critical to trade facilitation, saying it will enable traders to timely process their documentation and reduce trade costs.

“It is really something we need to appreciate because we used to spend quite a lot of time waiting for the processes from the ministry. Previously, we were waiting for no less than 14 days for the permit,” she said.

Mhango said the automation means a reduction of costs, enabling capable traders to meet supply deadlines, especially in circumstances that require some sort of urgency.

Cross-border Traders Association of Malawi president Steve Yohane said in an interview yesterday that they have been requesting this innovation for some time.

He said they will have to pilot the initiative first before commenting further, stressing that connectivity is key in digital offerings.

“Normally, the piloting of the project should be necessary to enable traders to appreciate and give feedback on areas that might need improvements because from our experience, the digital platforms face challenges ranging from connectivity and technical know-how,” said Yohane.

But Mumba assured businesses that the system is bound for further improvements based on the feedback from users or traders, stressing that any system is not perfect and is bound to be upgraded or strengthened as time passes.

Export Trading Company was the first to get the export permit licence from the electronic system, which was done to demonstrate how the system works.

With this innovation, it means the Ministry of Trade and Industry is the first to go live out of the 14 agencies that are part of the project, being implemented under the Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project in Malawi and Mozambique.

The innovative and secured solution also offers a unified online platform to enable traders/brokers, government departments and border agencies to collaborate seamlessly for the submission, processing and management of the certificate, licence and permit required for international trade.

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