A single window system

Single-entity or single-point legal submission of all legally necessary documents, such as import or export permits, custom certificates, and trading invoices, by participating countries in international trade is known as a "single window system" (Lux & Dennis, 2017).
Adopting a single window system in Caribbean nations is primarily intended to facilitate quick service delivery that saves time for both traders and custom duty officers in providing the essential legal requirements for transferring merchandise across economic borders (Lux & Dennis, 2017). The open window system is recognized by several world organizations that are affiliated with trade, including the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), World Customs Organization (WCO), and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

United Nations Economic Comission for Europe

The United Nation Economic Comission for Europe was established in 1947 to promote cooperation among the member states. UNECE contains international recommendations and standards for facilitating trade and incorporates the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic business (UN/CEFACT) (Lang, Tim & Heasman, 2015).

United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic business creates and monitors tools and formalities aimed at simplifying, automizing and harmonizing procedures related to flow of information by reducing the volume of paperwork involved into international trading between member countries by bringing up recommendations. There are some of them.

Recommendation Number 4. This proposal emphasizes the necessity of full operations to strengthen trade and intergovernmental cooperation. It also encourages the governments to give support and dedication to established organizations to facilitate national trade (Lang et al., 2015).

Recommendation number 13. It is aimed at facilitating documentation involved in maritime procedures and brings out solutions to problems arising when receiving and dispatching merchandise from international trade (Lang et al., 2015).

Recommendation number 14. It includes authentication of documents by means other than a signature. It seeks to embrace the use of electronic verification exchanges in international trade encouraging governments revise international documentations to minimize paperwork and adopt electronic transmission methods in trading (Lang et al., 2015).

Recommendation number 27. It includes the procedures of inspection before shipment promoting the standards of World Trade Organization. Methods, elements and various types of inspections to be done to maintain standards are included.

Trade data element directory. Trade data element directory is a tool used to provide trade documents in both paper and electronic formats providing information needed in various forms. It facilitates the transition from paper-based formats to implementing electronic processes (Lang et al., 2015).

UN/CEFACT modeling methodology (UMM). UN/CEFACT modeling method explains the processes used to share information between public administrators and private enterprises. It is useful in the early stages of implementing electronic data interchange systems (Lang et al., 2015).

World Customs Organization(WCO)

World Customs Organization is an agency working internationally to assist its member states in cooperation and communications related approaches. It contributes in developing rules used in customs procedures and providing advice and services to customs offices worldwide (Hoekman, Bernard & Petros, 2015). Examples of World Customs Organization initiatives to facilitate trade include the following.

WCO Revised Kyoto Convention. Kyoto convention involves custom roles about cargo inspections, border operations procedures, and the establishment of border offices to promote information exchange between trading countries (Hoekman et al., 2015).

WCO compendium. WCO compendium explains how to come up with a single window environment. It defines open window systems as structures that better serve the needs of the consumers and organizations founding different government interfaces for the purpose (Hoekman et al., 2015).

WCO unique consignment reference. Based on ISO standards, unique consignment reference is designed to identify international merchandise exchanges from their origins to their destinations. It establishes a link between the producer and receiver of merchandise using the orientation all through the logistical chain throughout involved trade transactions (Hoekman et al., 2015).

WCO SAFE Framework of Standards to secure and facilitate global trade. The SAFE Framework of Standards establishes the principles and standards its members should adopt to support the strategy.

Customs Guidelines on Integrated Supply Chain Management. Custom guidelines constitute a basis for the interchange of data among customs administrations and between customs and operators. It is provided through greater international cooperation between customs authorities (Hoekman et al., 2015).

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

UNCTAD is the chief United Nations organ in matters about trade. Its organizational aim is to maximize trade and investment opportunities, and promote development countries by assisting them to integrate into the world economy (Nicita, 2013).

UNCTAD promotes the open window system through projects such as the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) which incorporates most procedures linked to customs management. The system manages tasks such as customs declarations, merchandise manifests, etc. and meets all international standards set by WCO, ISO and the United Nations Organization (Nicita, 2013).

International Maritime Organization (IMO)

IMO is a specialized United Nations agency promoting state corporation and transportation aimed at improving maritime safety and reducing water contaminations. It works to reduce ocean pollution caused by ships and also deals with questions related to facilitating maritime transportation (Bichou et al., 2014).

The IMO is particularly interested in establishing a single window information system to operate before a ship arrives in port. Channeling through a single point of entry (the Single Window) attempts to make all the information associated with the ship and the merchandise it transports available before its arrival in port (Bichou et al., 2014).

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

The International Chamber of Commerce has the duty of inspecting and protecting the commercial operations of member countries abroad. It promotes trade and investment between countries and helps countries cope with globalization problems felt.

The International Chamber of Commerce is charged with the duty to prepare tools, standards, and rules aimed a facilitating and promoting international trade. ICC rules are the most adhered to in the world as it offers a legal and uniform regime for the facilitating and simplification of documents and procedures which are involved in the trade (Brooke, Michael & Peter, 2016).

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

The IDB is the main aid organization in offering multilateral financing and expertise for the sustainable economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The main reason of the IDB among others include reduction of poverty and social inequality, dealing with the necessities of the small, vulnerable countries, promoting development by the private sector (Brooke et al., 2016).

Procedures in Developing a Single Window System

The development processes of an Electronic Single Window are long and complicated, requiring the participation and commitments of vast numbers of public and private actors. To successfully tackle a network with such characteristics an orderly, systematic approach is necessary, following a series of structured steps which can be influenced by political, cultural and social factors (Michael, 2017).

Steps involved in the early stages are to identify the project management plan and training of personnel, defining roles of various participants, setting project directors and monitors, determining a clear communication strategy between members, proposed budget, labeling projects risks, setting criteria used to measure project success, and mechanisms of project review (Michael, 2017).

The Main aspects for a Single Window Environment in a Region

Number of Existing Single Window Systems and Levels of Interoperability

Single Window (SW) systems do not limit the existence of other SW systems within the same country. They ususally complement each other and comply with the principle of constituting a single point of entry for the information required. It is entirely feasible to find a Foreign Trade Single Window and a Port Single Window. Where they do not complement, an effort should be made to integrate them if compatible (Michael, 2017).

Leader and Operator or Orchestrator of the Single Window

Depending on political support, competencies, necessity, financial capacity and knowledge, different organizational solutions can be derived in the constitution of each single window. It is possible to distinguish between a single window leader or promoter and a single window operator or orchestrator. Moreover, various agencies, institutions or businesses in each country can be charged with playing those roles (Michael, 2017).

Agencies Regulating Single Window Practices

These are agencies empowered to examine or authorize the movement of goods crossing the borders. Among these agencies are customs administrations and regulatory agencies or organs concerned with human, plant and animal health, as well as control of product origins and quality. Also among the regulatory and border protection agencies are those authorities charged with control of people and vehicles that cross borders (Michael, 2017).

Collaborative Logistical Systems to Single Windows

Logistics collaboration systems, also known as cargo community systems, have been created in many countries. Logistical systems may provide a standard interface for all those who participate in the port logistics community, in which case they are known as port community systems or airport logistics community systems. It is usual for the customs administration, regulatory and border control agencies to participate in these systems, as well as the authorities who manage the infrastructure (Michael, 2017).

Phases of the Single Window for Border Regulations

Concept. There is a desire to work together; a process of diagnosis and consultations with the participants has begun with an eye to generating strategic planning and political convergence.

Initiation. There is some political mandate, with structures to provide support, program management and projects have been formulated.

Environment. Projects have been implemented, single window services are operational, and the process of change management, performance evaluation, and continual improvement has begun.The stages of design, construction, implementation or operation can be identified within this phase (Michael, 2017).

Harmonized Declarations with Agencies and Regulatory Organs

The single window has the capacity of constituting the single point of entry for all the information required from the economic operators. It is important to remember that the existence of a single point of entry does not mean the submission of all the information about the operation in one data transmission (Michael, 2017).

One aspect that must be taken seriously is avoiding forcing the same operator to declare the same data to different organs repeatedly. It does not mean that other economic operators do not have to make their declarations; in that case, it is possible to require corresponding information (Michael, 2017).

Benefits Of Single Windows

Benefits to the Government

A single window can lead to better coordination of existing government systems and procedures, simultaneously encouraging government agencies to communicate and operate in a more open and facilitative manner. For example, the user cannot only submit all the information and documents necessary through one single entity but can also establish more efficient mechanisms for rapid analysis of the information, making the data received more reliable (Brook, Michael & Buckley, 2016).

The received data is then distributed to those government agencies directly or directly involved in the process, each agency receiving the information it needs to carry out its functions while information outside its competence is kept confidential (Brook et al., 2016).

Benefits to the Industry

Benefits accrued from the adoption of single window systems include: decreased costs due to the reduction of delays, accelerated customs procedures, improved application of standards, greater efficiency and efficacy in the use of resource, and increased transparency in international trading as a whole (Brook et al., 2016).

Advantages to the Consumer

Single window systems bring benefits to final consumers of goods that go through borders. Advantages include faster delivery of property as single window system hasten transportation. Due to the inspections, involved consumers get to receive quality products, i.e. in health matters, and of the right quantity as packaged due to the single window system transparencies (Brook et al., 2016).

Conclusion

As noted from the study, it is evident and clear that single window systems should be adopted for a quick, easy and efficient means of boosting trade in the Caribbean countries due to the easiness and cost effective measures in implementing single window systems that lead to enormous mutual benefits (Brooke et al., 2016).

References

Bichou, K., Szyliowicz, J. S., & Zamparini, L. (Eds.). (2014). Maritime transport security: Issues, challenges and national policies. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Brooke, M. Z., & Buckley, P. J. (2016). Handbook of international trade. Berlin: Springer.

Hoekman, B. M., & Mavroidis, P. C. (2015). World Trade Organization (WTO): Law, economics, and politics. Abingdon: Routledge.

Lang, T., & Heasman, M. (2015). Food wars: The global battle for mouths, minds and markets. Abingdon: Routledge.

Lux, M. (2017). Book Review: Single windows and trade facilitation , Dennis Ndonga. (Alphen aan den Rijn: Kluwer Law International. 2015). Global Trade and Customs Journal, 12(6), 258-260.

Nicita, A. (2013). Exchange rates, international trade and trade policies. International Economics, 135, 47-61.





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