The Panama Maritime Single Window Project consisted of implementing a single electronic system for the exchange of all necessary information for the reception process of ships. The system enables the optimisation of port calls, by offering to vessels a single point of entry for the electronic submission of all the data, documents and formalities required. The implementation process started in 2017, when vessels sailing through the Panama Canal and calling at the ports of Balboa and Cristobal had to report formalities centrally though the system, and it is still being implemented in phases.
Until the end of December 2018, the Panama Maritime Single Window provided the following benefits:
- Electronic reporting of formalities through a single point of entry leading to reduction of customer costs
- Significant time savings in port calls; estimated saving of more than 3.260 hours in port terminals
- Paperless data exchange; saving of more than 300.000 paper documents
- Access to information timely and in advance of the port call
Further work towards the full implementation of the Panama Maritime Single Window is ongoing including the full coverage of Panama waters and ports and the financial integration of all relevant institutions.