Timber Inspections

Service documentation · Republic of Zambia · GSB e-Services

Owner	Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency
Service key	ZCSA/timber-inspections
Version	service v1, platform 9b8a591f
Date	2026-10-17

Generated automatically by the service's end-to-end test run. Every screenshot shows synthetic test data on a local test installation, never real personal data.

This document describes the Timber Inspections service of Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency as the platform runs it today. It is generated by the service's end-to-end test: every step below was performed by the test, and every screenshot was taken during that run with synthetic data. Regenerate it with npm run docs:services in the e2e suite; do not edit it by hand.

1. Service summary

Item	Detail
Service	Timber Inspections
Owner (MDA)	Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA)
Purpose	This is a service provided to Exporters of Timber to confirm that the timber intended to be exported meets the minimum export requirements. It is a delegated function from the Forestry Department.
Who can apply	Individual; Organization
How to apply	Online on the national e-Services portal, signed in with ZamPass; pay with ZamPay.
Fees	Timber Inspection Application Fee: ZMW 460.00 ZCSA Timber Inspection Fee: ZMW 1085.00 ZCSA Timber Certification Fee: ZMW 42.00
Turnaround	Two (2) days.
Validity of the output	Valid for the particular consignment that has been inspected.
Required documents	Timber Export Permit and Clearance Certificate (issued by Forestry Department) (required) Forestry Produce Conveyance Permit (issued by Forestry Department) (required) Forestry Production Permit (issued by Forestry Department) (required) Packing List (required) Certificate of agreement between the producer and merchant of timber (required)
Output documents	Notice of Action Application form GF-1 Treasury Invoice GF-2 Treasury Receipt
Legal basis	Compulsory Standards Act No.3 of 2017 SI No.49 of 2012 Fees

2. Application process, step by step

The process as configured in the back office:

Step	Role	Task	Type
1	Applicant	Apply	form
2	Case Officer	Generate Payment	generate-payment
3	Applicant	Payment	payment
4	System	Generate Document	generate-document
5	Case Officer	Review	review
6	Case Officer	Review	review
7	Case Officer	Review	review
8	Case Officer	Verify Payment	verify-payment
9	Supervisor	Approve	approve
10	System	Generate Document	generate-document
11	System	Generate Document	generate-document
12	System	Notify Client	notify

Who takes part in this journey: Citizen, Case Officer, Supervisor, Anyone (public).

Step 1. Find the service

Citizen · National e-Services portal

On the national e-Services portal the citizen opens All Services and searches for the service by name ("Timber Inspections"). Each result names the service and the ministry that provides it.

Step 2. Read the service page

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The service page sets out what the service is for, who provides it, the fee, how long it takes and the documents to have ready. "Start application" begins an application (the citizen is signed in with ZamPass).

Step 3. Confirm the applicant details

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The applicant details are filled in from the citizen's ZamPass account. The citizen says whom they are applying for (themself) and continues with "Proceed to Application".

Step 4. Fill in the application form

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The citizen answers the service's own application form, converted from the legacy system (29 answers in this run, all synthetic), for the type of application "New". Questions marked * must be answered; some appear only after an earlier answer. Answers are saved as the citizen types, so an unfinished application can be reopened from My Workplace.

Step 5. Upload the supporting documents

Citizen · National e-Services portal

Each document the service asks for has its own upload (5 in this run: Timber Export Permit and Clearance Certificate (issued by Forestry Department), Forestry Produce Conveyance Permit (issued by Forestry Department), Forestry Production Permit (issued by Forestry Department), Packing List, Certificate of agreement between the producer and merchant of timber). The files are checked and stored with the application; the page confirms each upload.

Step 6. Check the answers and confirm the declaration

Citizen · National e-Services portal

Before sending, the citizen sees every answer and document on one page and can go back to change them. The declaration that the information is true and complete must be ticked.

Step 7. Application sent

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The portal confirms the application with the ministry's reference number (ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 in this run). The application goes to the ministry's officers; the citizen follows it in My Workplace.

Step 8. Take the new application on

Case Officer · Back office

The application arrives in the case queue of the ministry that owns the service (Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency); only its staff see it. The officer opens it by its reference number - answers, documents and process are on the case - assigns it to themself and takes it on.

Step 9. Work out the fee

Case Officer · Back office

The Case Officer works out the fee from the service's imported fee schedule ("1. Application fee is ZMW 460.00 2. Inspection fee is ZMW 1085. 3. Certification fee is ZMW 42.00 per cubic meter."). "Submit Fees and Advance" records it, raises a ZamPay invoice for the applicant and moves the case to payment.

Step 10. See that the fee is due

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The application shows "Waiting for your payment" in My Workplace with a Pay button (K460.00). The office priced the case; the invoice was raised on ZamPay.

Step 11. Pay with ZamPay

Citizen · National e-Services portal

Pay opens the invoice (K460.00, the amount set by the platform, never by the page) with its PDF preview; the citizen pays at ZamPay by mobile money or bank card.

Step 12. Payment received

Citizen · National e-Services portal

ZamPay reports the payment; the dialog says "Paid. Thank you" and the application moves on to the ministry's officers.

Step 13. Receive, Inspect, Report Findings

Case Officer · Back office

The Case Officer works on "Receive, Inspect, Report Findings" (review in the imported process), checks the application and its documents, and completes the step.

Step 14. Prepare Requests, Send to Experts

Case Officer · Back office

The Case Officer works on "Prepare Requests, Send to Experts" (review in the imported process), checks the application and its documents, and completes the step.

Step 15. Review Expert Reports, Draft Decision

Case Officer · Back office

The Case Officer works on "Review Expert Reports, Draft Decision" (review in the imported process), checks the application and its documents, and completes the step.

Step 16. Verify Payment Completion

Case Officer · Back office

The Case Officer works on "Verify Payment Completion" (verify-payment in the imported process), checks the application and its documents, and completes the step.

Step 17. Decide: Review, Inspect, e-Sign

Supervisor · Back office

At "Review, Inspect, e-Sign" the Supervisor records the decision: approve, with a comment kept in the case history. Approving moves the case on; the last decision completes it and issues the document.

Step 18. Issue the document

Case Officer · Back office

The service's validity ("Valid for the particular consignment that has been inspected.") is not a fixed period, so completing the case does not issue the document by itself: the officer issues it from the completed case ("Issue / check permit"). It is generated from the service's output configuration and sealed.

Step 19. The document in My permits

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The issued document (ZCSA-TI-2026-00001 in this run: "Timber Inspections") is listed in "My permits and licences" with its validity and a download of the sealed PDF.

Step 20. Verify the document

Anyone (public) · Public verification page

The QR code on the document opens the public verification page: genuine and current, to whom it was issued, and whether the electronic seal is valid. No sign-in is needed.

3. Payment

Item	In the test run
Fee (as published)	1. Application fee is ZMW 460.00 2. Inspection fee is ZMW 1085. 3. Certification fee is ZMW 42.00 per cubic meter.
Invoice 1	6308308115689807
Amount 1	ZMW 460.00
Paid at 1	after "Work out the fee"

On screen: step 9 (Work out the fee), step 10 (See that the fee is due), step 11 (Pay with ZamPay), step 12 (Payment received) in section 2.

4. Output documents

Timber Inspections (sealed PDF)

Issued when the case was approved, from the service's output configuration (permitDocument/issued@1), filled from the application and the decision, sealed with the platform's electronic seal and stored as the issued version. The holder downloads it from My permits; the verification page checks it.

The issued PDF has 1 page; the image shows the first.

Fields

Field	Value in the test run
Document title	Timber Inspections
Permit / licence number	ZCSA-TI-2026-00001
Holder	Chanda Mwila
Valid from	2026-10-17
Valid until
Status	active
Verification code (printed with a QR code)	DX8N-YQFE-M3

Seal

Item	Detail
Seal status	sealed
Signature level	PAdES-B-T
Sealed by	the platform seal (development key in the test run)
Signed at	2026-10-17T06:01:25.757Z
Trusted time-stamp	2026-10-17T06:01:26.128Z (time-stamping authority)
Document fingerprint (SHA-256)	c268dea342066bfc...

Verification

Item	Detail
Where	The public verification page of the national portal, <portal>/verify/<verification code>, opened by scanning the QR code on the document.
What it shows	Whether the document is genuine and current, its holder and validity, and whether the electronic seal is valid and who sealed it.
Checking a copy	Anyone can upload a PDF they were given; the page says whether it is exactly the document that was issued. A changed copy is reported as not matching.

On screen: step 18 (Issue the document), step 19 (The document in My permits), step 20 (Verify the document) in section 2.

5. Notifications

When	Channel	To	Message	Delivery
Application received	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Application ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 received - Your application ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 for Timber Inspections has been received by Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency.	shown
Status changed	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Update on application ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 - ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 (Timber Inspections) is now: With the office - fees being worked out.	shown
Payment due (invoice raised)	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Payment due for application ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 - The fee of ZMW 460.00 for Timber Inspections (ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26) is now due. Invoice 6308308115689807.	shown
Payment received	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Payment received for ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 - Your payment of ZMW 460.00 for ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 (Timber Inspections) has been received. Receipt: <ZamPay>/pdf?documentType=receipt&invoiceNumber=6308308115689807	shown
Decision: approved	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Application ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 completed - ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 (Timber Inspections) is complete. Your documents are ready.	shown
Invitation to rate the service	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	How was Timber Inspections? - How was Timber Inspections? Tell us in about a minute.	shown
Licence / permit issued	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Your Timber Inspections document has been issued - ZCSA-TI-2026-00001 has been issued for Timber Inspections.	shown
Application received	sms	+260 97* *** 567	Application ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 for Timber Inspections has been received. Track it: <portal>/my-workplace	delivered
Application received	email	e2e.c***@example.test	Application ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 received	skipped
Status changed	sms	+260 97* *** 567		delivered
Payment due (invoice raised)	sms	+260 97* *** 567	Fee of ZMW 460.00 due for ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26. Invoice 6308308115689807. Pay: <ZamPay>/pay-for-service/get-invoice/6308308115689807	delivered
Payment due (invoice raised)	email	e2e.c***@example.test	Payment due for application ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26	skipped
Payment received	sms	+260 97* *** 567		delivered
Invitation to rate the service	sms	+260 97* *** 567		skipped
Invitation to rate the service	email	e2e.c***@example.test	How was Timber Inspections?	skipped
Decision: approved	sms	+260 97* *** 567		delivered
Decision: approved	email	e2e.c***@example.test	Application ZCSA-TI/00001/10-17-26 completed	skipped
Licence / permit issued	sms	+260 97* *** 567		delivered
Licence / permit issued	email	e2e.c***@example.test	Your Timber Inspections document has been issued	skipped

Delivery: shown = in the portal's notification bell; delivered = the SMS gateway (a test double in this run) reported the text delivered; skipped = not sent on that channel (e-mail is not configured on the test installation, and some notices go out on one channel only); sent by the national portal = a ministry node handed the notice to the national portal, which texts and e-mails the citizen under its own name and the citizen's preferences. Addresses written <portal>, <ZamPay> stand for the national portal and ZamPay.

6. Legacy mapping

Item	Detail
Replaces	Timber Inspections in the legacy ZIGS e-Services directory (ZIGS_Services)
Legacy service id	186
Legacy provider	Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) under Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry
Legacy process	FullReview (process 3)
Fee in the legacy system	Timber Inspection Application Fee: ZMW 460 (New) ZCSA Timber Inspection Fee: ZMW 1085 (New) ZCSA Timber Certification Fee: ZMW 42 (New)
Fee taken before submission	yes (as in ZIGS)
Time to issue (legacy)	New: 2 working days
Legacy output templates	Notice of Action: ZIGS_Forms_Notices / GS-2.NoticeOfAction Application form: ZIGS_Forms_ZCSA / ZCSA_TimberInspections.Application GF-1 Treasury Invoice: ZIGS_CustomForms / GF-1 Invoice GF-2 Treasury Receipt: ZIGS_CustomForms / GF-2 Receipt
Legacy address	none recorded
How it was brought over	Imported by the platform's legacy catalogue importer (zcm-backend scripts/zigs/importLegacy.js) from the ZIGS snapshot: form, case types, fees, documents, process and output templates, then served by the new platform.

7. Version and date

Item	Detail
Document version	service v1, platform 9b8a591f
Generated	2026-10-17T06:01:31Z (by the end-to-end run, not edited by hand)
Service version	not versioned (configured directly)
Platform snapshot	backend 9b8a591f portal dfd4933 back office a975a2c
Test suite	e2e 77189f6; one installation (combined); seed profile mihud
Journeys	30-catalogue-service.spec.js: citizen finds the service, answers its form, uploads its documents and sends the application - passed 30-catalogue-service.spec.js: the case goes through every step of its process: payments by the citizen, each officer step by its role - passed 30-catalogue-service.spec.js: the grant document is issued, sealed, filled in and verifiable; the citizen has it in My permits - passed
Result	3 of 3 journey tests passed
Data	Synthetic test data on a local test installation; provider test doubles for ZamPass, ZamPay, SMS and signing.