Pakistan Single Window (PSW) in collaboration with Department of Plant Protection (DPP) of Pakistan has commenced sharing of “e-Phyto” (electronic phytosanitary certificate) exchanged between countries through the through e-Phyto Hub of International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). PSW has successfully integrated the IPPC e-Phyto Hub for electronic exchange of phytosanitary certificates.
The integration of the PSW into the IPPC e-Phyto Hub is part of PSW’s vision and commitment to modernize trade processes and embrace digital solutions for a more efficient and interconnected global trade environment. Pakistan is now one of 88 countries exchanging e-Phytos on the Hub (https://www.ephytoexchange.org/landing/index.html). This is a pivotal tool that provides a paperless, global, digital exchange for electronic phytosanitary certificates. governed by the IPPC, a multilateral treaty supervised by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
In the first 4 days of operations, PSW transmitted more than 600 certificates to 36 countries around the world. The electronic issuance of phytosanitary certificates through the PSW system is now operational across all major entry points, including seaports, airports, dry ports, and land border stations throughout Pakistan reducing processing times and costs associated with traditional paper-based procedures and facilitating traders in improving their trade competitiveness.
By connecting with the IPPC’s e-Phyto Hub, Pakistan can now electronically exchange phytosanitary certificates with 127 countries worldwide. Since the integration, PSW has successfully exchanged e-phyto certificates with approximately 100 countries, including major trading partners such as Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Oman, the United States, Indonesia, Madagascar, Singapore, and Germany.
The CEO of Pakistan Single Window Syed Aftab Haider commented on the achievement of this milestone saying, “The integration marks a significant step forward for PSW as it not only facilitates the exports of agricultural products, it demonstrates our ability to integrate with international platforms for data exchange. By joining the Hub, PSW has taken the first step towards elimination of paper certificates across the international supply chain-a natural spillover to the digitization of trade processes and documents within Pakistan.”
The IPPC ePhyto Solution consists of three main elements:
– A central server (Hub): to facilitate the transfer of electronic phytosanitary certificates between NPPOs, either from and to their own national electronic system or by using the generic system described below.
– A Generic ePhyto National System (GeNS): a web-based system that can produce and receive ePhytos, to allow countries that do not have a national electronic system to produce, send and receive ePhytos.
– Harmonization: the structure and transmission of ePhytos will follow a harmonized format through the use of standardized mapping, codes and lists.
To keep trade safe, countries must inspect and certify their exports of plants and plant products to ensure they meet the importing countries’ plant health requirements. The e-Phyto Hub is a visionary solution: a paperless, global, digital exchange for electronic phytosanitary certificates.
