Malawi recently launched the Single Digital Portal to modernize trade and enhance the international market reach for local producers. This digital platform improves trade operations by enabling online access to trade documents and serves as a marketplace for SMEs. Minister Vitumbiko Mumba and MCCCI President Wisely Phiri highlighted its role in reducing trade bureaucracy while offering incentives to businesses for online registration.
Malawi’s Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry has recently introduced the Single Digital Portal to streamline trade processes and broaden the nation’s global market access. This digital platform is engineered to modernize trade operations, providing local producers an online venue to display their products to international consumers.
The platform not only serves as a marketplace for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) but also offers digital administrative capabilities, facilitating online applications for essential trade documents such as Certificates of Origin. Minister of Trade and Industry, Vitumbiko Mumba, emphasized the need for such modernization, stating, “This portal will significantly reduce bureaucracy in trade by enabling digital applications for licenses and trade documents. The world is going digital, and Malawi cannot afford to be left behind.”
Wisely Phiri, the president of the Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, noted that the platform is part of their ongoing digital transformation strategy, which extends until 2026. Phiri remarked, “This platform allows manufacturers to obtain certificates of origin online, making it easier for them to export goods and attract international buyers. Previously, businesses had to visit our offices physically, but now everything is streamlined digitally.”
Furthermore, the system features identity verification through a collaboration with the National Registration Bureau (NRB), ensuring that only verified entities can transact on the platform. To promote utilization of the portal, the MCCCI has reduced registration fees by 50% for businesses that choose to register online.
The launch of the Single Digital Portal signifies Malawi’s commitment to modernizing trade and enhancing international market opportunities for local producers. By facilitating online processes for trade documentation and implementing identity verification protocols, the platform aims to streamline trade operations and reduce bureaucratic barriers. The introduction of reduced registration fees further encourages business participation, marking a significant step in Malawi’s digital transformation journey.
Original Source: itweb.africa
