President Alvi signs act to facilitate trade

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to facilitate trade, President Dr. Arif Alvi on Friday signed into law the Pakistan Single Window Act 2021, ARY News reported.

Under the Pakistan Single Window Act, an independent institution having a governing council and Secretariat would be established for the facilitation of national and international trade.

The new law will provide a coordinated one-window system to facilitate exports, imports and transit trade. The establishment of an independent institution besides reducing the cost of doing business will also help ease cross-border trade and transportation of goods.

The institution will also help in the timely processing of data and bring about improvement in the provision of quality services.

Meanwhile, the president also signed into law the Senate Secretariat Services (Amendment) Act 2021.

Under the act, the Senate Secretariat would be authorized to make appointments in BS-1 to BS-16. However, the BS-17 appointments in Senate Secretariat will be made through the Federal Public Service Commission. The absorption of officers, posted in Senate Secretariat on deputation, has also been prohibited under the new law.