The Department of Agricultural Research Services (DARS) under the Ministry of Agriculture says it will begin digitalising the issuance of plant import payments and phytosanitary certificates starting January next year, marking a major shift from the current manual system.
DARS Quarantine Officer and Senior Plant Health Inspector Raphael Banda said the long-used manual data management approach has frequently caused delays and inconveniences for importers and other stakeholders.
He said the digital system, being developed through the Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP) with World Bank funding, will first be tested in a pilot phase in January before full rollout in March.
According to Banda, the department has prioritised training for system users to ensure a smooth transition and to prepare them before notifying traders and partner agencies of the migration from manual to digital processing.
Consultant Neelchandra Bhiwajee, Head of Business Development at Mauritius Network Services Ltd, said the new Sanitary and Phytosanitary Information System (SPIS) is expected to improve transparency, speed up service delivery, and seal gaps that could negatively affect trade.
