Basseterre, Saint Kitts, September 30, 2026 (SKNIS): The Ministry of International Trade, in collaboration with the World Bank Group, is advancing plans for the development of a National Electronic Single Window (ESW) to modernise trade facilitation and improve the efficiency of cross-border trade.
The initiative is the focus of a two-day National Electronic Single Window Visioning Workshop, held at the Ministry of Agriculture Conference Room, and is attended by representatives from government agencies, border regulatory institutions, the private sector and other key stakeholders.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of International Trade, Sean Lawrence, said the Electronic Single Window would enable traders to submit information and documentation through a single digital platform rather than navigating multiple agencies and processes.
He said the system has the potential to simplify procedures, reduce administrative burdens, improve transparency, facilitate compliance and accelerate the movement of goods across the Federation’s borders.
Lawrence stressed, however, that the success of the initiative would depend on more than technology, requiring coordinated action, effective governance and institutional commitment.
“Trade facilitation is not the responsibility of any single ministry or agency. It is a collaborative undertaking,” Lawrence said.
Melissa Hines, Operations Officer at the World Bank Group, highlighted the importance of trade facilitation to the Caribbean’s small, open economies, noting that the time, cost, transparency and predictability of moving goods across borders can directly affect competitiveness, investment and economic resilience.
She said a National Single Window can help modernise trade processes by allowing traders to submit standardised information through a coordinated system while enabling border regulatory agencies to progressively transition from paper-based to electronic processes.
“A single window is not an end in itself. It is a means of making trade procedures more efficient and accessible,” she said. “The vision that you will develop here should therefore remain focused on measurable improvements for government agencies and the trading community as a whole.”
The workshop forms part of the World Bank Group’s regional trade facilitation technical assistance project, which includes Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Grenada. The project, launched in 2025, is being implemented over three years and supports efforts to strengthen the transparency and predictability of trade procedures and advance alignment with the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement.
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