Antigua and Barbuda is considering the rollout of a single-window customs platform aimed at streamlining trade and cutting clearance times at the port.
At Thursday’s post-Cabinet briefing, Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant explained: “It lends to the increase in trade. It lends to ease of doing business. Increase in trade, less time being spent on trying to get your goods cleared. If it were two days, it can be reduced to half of a day.”
He said the system would allow importers and exporters to submit all documents and payments through a single digital entry point, replacing the need to interact with multiple agencies.
Merchant added that the platform would keep port operations running even during unrest: “In terms of unrest, it was reported that the system can still function if there is any employee unrest. The system can still function to ensure that the operations of the port … can do so with the click of a button at their offices, wherever they are, to get their goods removed from the port.”
Cabinet heard from a prospective service provider and signalled it would also review other vendors before making a final decision.
