Kenya is now implementing a comprehensive National Single Window (NSW) which will assist the country in improving trade facilitation in the region.

According to Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta the implementation of Kenya’s NSW is the single most important trade facilitation development in East Africa since the EAC Customs Union launch a decade ago.

With the launch of the NSW it is projected that it will only take three days for cargo being imported into Kenya to be cleared at the port of Mombasa while cargo dwell time for goods on transit to Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, DRC, Rwanda and Burundi will be reduced to one hour with the system.

Adds Kenyetta, “If the Kenya NSW is implemented to the letter, the country will save US$ 250 million per annum in the first three years and US$ 450 million per annum afterwards based on improved services.”

“The benefits of the NSW go beyond increasing the speed of transactions. It will also free up capacity in the port and transport industry, introduce paperless processing, enhance internal efficiencies of government agencies and private sector operators and curb corruption due to its transparency and accountability process.”

The implementation of a comprehensive NSW is a complex and costly undertaking, requiring tremendous efforts, cost, changes of mind-set and a strong political will.

Kenya’s NSW was made possible courtesy of the Investment Climate Facility, the World Bank, Trademark East Africa and the Government of Singapore.