Belize is moving to eliminate the paper-based bottlenecks that have long slowed down cross-border trade. The Government of Belize has begun its work on a nationwide digital trade platform to speed up border approvals.
It is called the Electronic Single Window (ESW) for Trade. The system will allow businesses to submit import and export documents through a single online portal instead of filing paperwork with multiple government agencies.
The platform is expected to reduce processing times, lower administrative costs and make the country’s trade system more transparent and predictable. The project is being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the European Union, while Uruguay-based technology company Concepto SAS has been contracted to develop the platform over the next 24 months.
The first phase will connect five government agencies responsible for approving permits and licences: the Customs and Excise Department, the Chief Pharmacist Office, the Supplies Control Unit, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), and the Belize Fisheries Department.
According to the government, the agencies will work together to redesign existing procedures, digitise applications and improve coordination between departments that regulate imports and exports.
