The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has set up a maritime single window (MSW) platform for the Port of Lobito in Angola.
Delegates from Angola and a representative of IMO were able to test the platform at a business process study workshop in Singapore (27-30 June) as part of the Single Window for Facilitation of Trade (SWiFT) project.
More specifically, the SWiFT pilot project was launched by IMO and Singapore last year to support medium-sized ports to meet the requirements of the International Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention) and facilitate interconnectivity between ports worldwide.
According to the International Maritime Organistion (IMO), the maritime single window facilitates the seamless electronic submission of information required for ships calling in the Port of Lobito via a single digital portal. Moreover, from 1 January 2024, it will be mandatory for ports around the world to operate MSWs.
The formal handover of the MSW platform and completion of the SWiFT pilot Project is expected to take place by October.