The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has issued a call to countries with medium-sized ports to participate in a pilot for their Single Window for Facilitation of Trade (SWiFT). The SWiFT project, being implemented by IMO in partnership with Singapore, aims to set up a digitalised system for ship clearance through electronic exchange of information.
The pilot port will operate under the Maritime Single Window (MSW) system in which all information required by various government agencies will be relayed through electronic submission when a ship calls at a port. Following the first pilot and subject to availability of adequate funding, the pilot will be replicated with other IMO members in need of digitising their maritime sector.
The selected country will be given legal advice and guided through the policy and institutional requirements of the MSW system. Essential MSW software and hardware will be provided to be port and these will be tailored to the country’s specific needs. The pilot programme will be supported by contributions from Singapore along with the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) from IMO.
The IMO-Singapore joint project was influenced by a maritime single window system in Antigua and Barbuda.