Arooj Zulfiqar

Digitization of marine departments can supercharge Pakistan’s seafood exports, bringing the much-needed foreign exchange to the state coffers, Naveed Abbas Memon, Pakistan Single Window (PSW) Chief Domain Officer, told WealthPK. Pakistan exported about $500 million worth of seafood during the FY2022-23 — a record high during a financial year. However, the country is still far behind its actual potential of $1 billion worth of seafood exports. “We are working on improving the efficiency of marine departments through digitization,” he said. “The PSW is the lead agency that allows the parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardized information and documents at a single-entry point to fulfill all import, export and transit-related requirements.

The facility helps reduce the time and cost of doing business in Pakistan and makes trade-related business processes more efficient, transparent and consistent,” he said. “Pakistan is confident about boosting its seafood exports, especially to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with digitization and improved efficiency of its marine departments. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait are among Pakistan's 10 leading export destinations for fish and prepared fish products,” he said. As a result, there is a significant opportunity for Pakistani exporters to further increase their exports to these countries through digitization, Abbas said, emphasizing the potential benefits of technology in boosting trade relations between Pakistan and the GCC.

“Digitized trade is set to have a significant impact on our export industry. By implementing digital verification processes, the Gulf countries will now be able to easily and accurately verify Pakistani documents online, leading to a boost in exports. This advancement in trade technology is poised to revolutionize the way businesses engage in cross-border trade and improve efficiency while reducing the likelihood of errors in the documentation process,” he said. “The countries receiving Pakistani fish and fish products will be able to trust their quality and safety due to thorough inspection and approval by the relevant department,” he said.

In the first phase, Memon said, “We digitized four departments, including Department of Plant Protection, Mercantile Marine Department, Federal Seed Certification Department and Pakistan Quality Control Authority. In the second phase, we digitized four more departments, which also include the Marine Fisheries Department that actually regulates the export of fish and fish products from Pakistan to other countries,” he said. Abbas further said that the digitalization process had not only reduced the processing time, but also ensured paperless trade. “Thanks to digitization, exporters feel more encouraged, less hassle and are not required to physically go to the government departments,” he added.

Credit: INP-WealthPk