Increasing the number of e-Services available to traders through Ecuador’s single window and implementing improved management systems in the government’s main sanitary facilities is accelerating the modernisation of trade processes, saving time and cutting costs for companies.
Despite a shift toward electronic services in recent years, around 40% of trade procedures in Ecuador are still paper-based, requiring in-person filing and processing to satisfy a range of certification requirements. Approvals can take as long as 72 hours for manually-processed documentation, as opposed to 24 hours for electronic submissions through Vue — Ecuador’s single window system.
Agri-businesses also face lengthy processing times and costs in complying with certifications supported by the laboratory network of the Phyto and Zoo Sanitary Regulation and Control Agency (Agrocalidad). Food and health industries also have been affected by the lack of certainty and traceability in obtaining certifications from the National Agency for Sanitary Regulation, Control, and Observation (ARCSA). Despite growing demand for their services, the agencies are yet to fully embrace automation of a range of management tasks, diverting analysts from operational work.