Lesotho National Single Window
The Lesotho National Single Window (LNSW) is a web-enabled application that allows traders (importer, exporters or their agents) to access from a single portal the means to prepare and submit applications electronically for various regulatory Certificates, Licenses and Permits (CLPs) required for international trade.
The LNSW has been introduced to automate the process of applying for and processing the required CLPs used in Lesotho cross-border trade. It aims to not only reduce the time and cost involved in obtaining the required CLPs, but also to enable Lesotho to meet its international and regional commitments to trade facilitation. The LNSW is therefore targeted at directly improving the trade environment for the trading community and also modernizing and improving the everyday working environment of the involved government agencies.
Use of the LNSW will remove the need for traders to physically visit the different government agencies to obtain application forms, deposit completed applications and supporting documents, make payments and collect the issued permit. All such activities will be able to be conducted online from the applicants place of work, or even on a mobile phone. The LNSW will further reduce travel, congestion and reduce the use of paper.
Please note to use the LNSW and make applications for the different CLPs, the applicant must first be registered. Details on how to register on the LNSW can be found here.
In this initial stage of introduction of the LNSW, the following Agencies/CLPs are to be automated from 27 June 2022:
- For Ministry of Trade / One-Stop Business Facilitation Centre
- For Lesotho Revenue Authority
With the successful introduction of the above, the Ministry of Agriculture is next to come on-board to the LNSW with the automation of the following CLPs targeted within the third quarter of 2022:
- Department of Marketing
- Import Permit for Controlled Commodities
- Department of Livestock
- Veterinary Import Permit
- Veterinary Export Permit
Next, the desire is to then bring all remaining CLPs of the following government agencies under the LNSW operation, including:
- Department of Agricultural Research
- Lesotho Dairy Board, Department of Marketing
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Mining, Department of Mines
- Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Department of Traffic
- Ministry of Tourism
- National Police Service
Issue of electronic Certificate License and Permit
After making an application, the necessary information and supporting documents will be directed to all responsible agencies for their review and approval. Note that through the LNSW only one application is required even if more than one agency is involved in the approval process; for example, where there was previously need to obtain both an Import Permit from the Department of Markettng and an Import Permit from the Department of Livestock for the import of meat, now only one application will be made and directed to both departments for their processing with issue of a single CLP covering both departments approvals.
Should the agency need to query the application, contact will be made via the LNSW message service for action of the trader, the trader will be notified by email and/or SMS also of this need for action.
Upon successful approval of the application, the trader will be notified if there is need to pay any fees, otherwise they will be informed of the CLP being issued and invited to view the details or download the generated electronic CLP. The downloaded CLP may be retained by the trader for their records.
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Note that on subsequent preparation of import / export declarations through the Customs’ ASYCUDA World there is no longer the need to scan and attach the permit as a supporting document to the declaration if it has been issued through LNSW. Now, at time of preparation of the customs declaration, and at box 44 of the SAD, the declarant will be asked to enter the LNSW No. of the corresponding CLP asked for. All other processing of ASYCUDA World remains unchanged.
