THE implementation of, and full usage of the Single Window Automated Processing System (SWAPS) stands to rake in positive benefits for the business community, particularly in the creation of an enabling environment and systems that will ensure the improvement of Guyana’s business standing, competitiveness, increased efficiency, reduced cost of doing business and improved reliability and transparency.

This achievement will also impact positively on Guyana’s implementation of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) where information and business are shared and cross-bordered. It is therefore important to note that the SWAPS has been tried and tested and has fulfilled the complete solid test that would make it an undoubtedly strong system that would provide all the answers in terms of improving efficiency.
These sentiments were expressed by the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce (ag), Irfaan Ali, who was addressing a gathering at the SWAPS for trade transactions in Guyana stakeholder workshop at the Regency Hotel yesterday.
He stressed that the participants have the opportunity to examine the proposal of the system not in a way to agree with everything it presents. “You have to look for the weaknesses that you see in the system, because for SWAPS to be successful, it has to be designed in relation to the environment in which it has to operate… it is not an off the shelf system, and for that system to be designed to meet the requirements of the environment it requires strong input at the conceptual level,” Minister Ali highlighted.
Guyana is among four countries in the Caribbean that are now implementing aspects of the system. There are also 49 countries, internationally, that have implemented parts of the system, while 29 others have done so fully, and 89 countries have some form of electronic system to improve business efficiency.
The minister acknowledged that the SWAPS has tremendous benefits, opportunities for improvements in the way business is done and ensuring that Guyana’s ranking on doing business is also enhanced. He also recognised the hiccups experienced with the implementation of TRIPS – the Agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights.
“A lot of that had to do with our ability at the conceptual stage, not to be lazy… we have to be willing and ready to read, analyse and contextualise the document in terms of the environment in which we are operating and make the necessary recommendations to the consultants and those designing the system so that it captures what we need to resolve our business environment issues,” Minister Ali underscored.
Further, the SWAPS would need medium and long-term planning by the Private Sector. “They (the Private Sector) need to aggressively get their membership to understand that the country’s infrastructure is naturally progressing along an ICT backbone that requires them to be up-to-date, to modernise, improve their system of efficiency, because at the end of the day, there must be an integration of all the stakeholders in the sharing of information,” he said.
Minister Ali indicated that the government has been concentrating greatly on improving the business environment and efficiency. At the level of the Competitiveness Board, areas where improvements are needed have already been identified and the actions required for movements upwards outlined. This is expected to result in Guyana moving from a rank of 113 to 80, in three years, on the Doing Business Indicator.
“It is because of the need to have these improvements in conducting business that we have chosen to embrace this concept of the single window application, and I think it is one that will contribute significantly to how we conduct our affairs, not only the GRA, but with other agencies that we collaborate with,” Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Khurshid Sattaur stated.
Sattaur acknowledged that the GRA is the agency that most businesses engage with, and has a role to play in cross-border activities. In light of that, there are significant benefits with regards to the use of SWAPS which would have a direct impact on cutting costs and data collection and sharing, improving risk management and speeding-up the processing of goods and documents. These will in turn lessen the time taken to conduct business transactions.
Sattaur noted that one of the challenges of the SWAPS implementation is the movement from a paper to a paper-less world. “We are hoping that with improving technology, we would be able to grant the licence that are required in a more speedy manner, and if therefore the SWAPS is used effectively, we would have greater inter-agency cooperation among the different agencies,” he emphasised.
Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Ronald Webster, said he agreed with Minister Ali’s call for the private sector to be more modernised.
He highlighted the positives of SWAPS, with regard to trade facilitation and transactions, reducing transport cost, promoting transparency and harmonisation of regulations, efficient and transparent customs procedures and simplifying trade documentation and processing.
Webster cited Singapore as a country which has successfully implemented the SWAPS which has resulted in increases in their Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
With regard to the envisioned potentials of the implementation of SWAPS, Webster committed the Private Sector’s support for the initiative and said they are looking forward to the programme’s implementation in the near future.