EAC Trade Expected to Further Improve as Kenya-Uganda Launch …
17 May 2013, Malaba At least 400 clearing and forwarding agents based at one of the busiest border posts on the Kenya-Uganda border have signed up for the East Africa Customs Freight forwarding Practicing Certificate (EACFFPC); a top notch regional training program that is equipping participants with the relevant skills and knowledge to enable them meet the demands of increased trade in the region.
The programme which is run by the region s apex freight logistics governing body, Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA) in partnership with TradeMark East Africa ( TMEA1 ), is soon going to be a mandatory licensing requirement for all clearing and forwarding agents in the EAC by end of 2013.
Speaking at the launch of the border post class, Executive Director of FEAFFA John Mathenge said, All these initiatives are aimed at moving this region forward. TradeMark has committed over 1.5 Million dollars to this program, we are proud of their partnership and that of the national associations and revenue authorities that have given us support that has seen them commit their staff and time. We are excited at the opportunity that the Busia-Malaba border class will offer the industry in terms of professionalizing it to further ensure it operates efficiently and cost effectively.
Ms Elizabeth Opondo an official from Kenya Revenue Authority added that the training was important to Kenya Revenue authority. Speaking on behalf of the station manager, she said, As an authority we are committed to enhancing professionalism in cross boarder trade. As Kenya Revenue Authority it is our desire to engage professionally with the clearing fraternity that can articulate customs laws and regulations.
Echoing her sentiments, Mr Geoffrey Balamaga, the regional manager Uganda Revenue Authority added that the joint boarder training in Busia and Malaba was a remarkable milestone. Speaking on behalf of Mr Richard Kamajugo Commissioner Customs, he said that Uganda Revenue Authority was committed to removing Tariff and Non-Tariff trade barriers, simplifying and automating customs procedures. He added that, Uganda Revenue Authority has invested in various ICT applications aimed at enhancing coordination among various agencies in and across boarders.
The regional training programme was developed by FEAFFA in collaboration with the East Africa Revenue Authorities. With support from TMEA2 , the programme is being implemented regionally under the stewardship of the Curriculum Implementation Committee (CIC), a joint committee of the FEAFFA/National Freight Forwarders Associations and Revenue Authorities. The joint boarder classes have been launched with support among the various customs and freight logistics agencies in Kenya and Uganda. The launch also saw the awarding of certificates to accredited trainers who completed the Training of trainers (ToT) courses carried out to cater for the need to build capacity of facilitators for the EACFFPC program.
Ms Vicky Kamanguza, the EACFFPC Regional Training Coordinator explained that the purpose of the launch was to acknowledge the efforts by the EACFFPC and its stakeholders to put together not just one but eight classes that would cater to the 400 students. The eight classes comprise two from the Kenya-Malaba border, two on the Malaba-Uganda border and four in Busia, she said. So far we can confirm that in Uganda 119 students have fully registered to attend the class in Malaba and 90 will attend the class in Busia. In Kenya 75 students will go to class in Malaba while 106 attend the Busia class.
Busia is the busiest border crossing between Kenya and Uganda while the border town of Malaba that is situated approximately 5 kilometres to the north on the Uganda-Kenya border is the second busiest crossing point along their common border.
The two borders are flooded with heavy commercial traffic in both directions. Goods from Uganda such as cash crops like coffee, cotton and timber are destined daily for the Kenyan port of Mombasa for export and foodstuffs like fish, bananas, pineapples and mangoes, maize, beans, groundnuts, sorghum destined for the Kenyan market also come across. In the opposite direction, Uganda imports petroleum products, manufactured goods and household items like cooking oil, soap, clothing, electronics and automobiles.
A report carried by The East African newspaper recently indicated that trade within the East African Community is expected to receive a major boost after Kenya prioritized the construction of five special border posts in its budget. According to the report, a pilot post at Malaba on Kenya s border with Uganda has reduced cargo clearance from two days to just two hours.
TradeMark East Africa s ( TMEA3 ) Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Scott Allen who also attended the launch said, The EACFFPC is an initiative that TradeMark East Africa is committed to in our efforts to realize regional economic integration in the EAC by strengthening human resource and institutional capacity. He added, TradeMark East Africa undertakes a holistic approach towards the facilitation of trade by identifying choke points and creating solutions to address them. Some of these solutions include programs such as 7 One stop boarder posts (OSBP s) whose aim is to reduce transit costs incurred in cross-border movement by combining the activities of both country s border organizations and agencies at either a single common location; Single Window Portals that will improve the management and access of documents and information by making them available online; Transport observatories which are an effort to collect data and information in real time for ships at ports; and the reduction of Non Tariff Barriers (NTB s)
The new class at the borders follows on the heels of the successful graduation of 100 clearing and forwarding agents in Uganda.
The next regional intake for the EACFFPC programme is scheduled for June 2013 and the call for applications is underway. The announcement is expected to be published in the public media to ensure all clearing agents are aware of the looming deadline of December 2013 when the certificate will become a pre-condition for any clearing agent to receive an operational license for the year starting January 2014.
For more information please contact4
The freight logistics industry in East Africa has been largely characterised by poor business practices due to an inadequate skills pool and limited use of modern technologies. With more than 40% of the business costs accruing to transport and logistics, there is increasing appreciation of the importance of this sector in international trade. In this context, clearing and forwarding agents are recognised as a key player in international trade logistics. Attempts by both the public and private sectors to raise the professional standard within the industry with a view to improve business practices and promote compliance have gained momentum.
A regional training program, the East Africa Customs and Freight Forwarding Practising Certificate (EACFFPC), has been developed by FEAFFA in collaboration with the East African Revenue Authorities. With support from TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), the programme is being implemented regionally under the stewardship of the Curriculum Implementation Committee (CIC), a joint committee of the FEAFFA/national freight forwarders associations and Revenue Authorities. To date, close to 2000 clearing and forwarding agents have been trained. By the end of 2013, qualification under the programme is expected to become a precondition for licensing of Customs agents.
Through financial support from TMEA, FEAFFA and the Revenue Authorities are expanding the delivery capacity of the training facilities within the five EAC member states to hasten the attainment of the desired critical mass of 4500 trained agents in East Africa. TMEA s assistance has enabled FEAFFA to review the EACFFPC s framework, update its curriculum and training materials, and hire 6 training coordinators. Further support will be provided to FEAFFA national associations to train trainers, issue Certificates of Competence (for those exempted to undergo training) and carry out training activities for the next two years beginning 2012.
Expected Results
- Enable the trainees to discharge their roles competently as Customs Agents;
- Entrench professionalism in cargo clearing and forwarding;
- Provide a common standard for professional practice and accreditation within the cargo clearing and forwarding industry across East Africa;
- Enhance ethical conduct, good governance and integrity in the profession; and
- Facilitate trade.
For more information contact5 : Silas Kanamugire at silas.kanamugire@trademarkea.com6
About TRADEMARK EAST AFRICA
TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) is a not-for-profit organization funded by a range of development agencies to promote regional trade and economic integration in East Africa by working closely with East African Community (EAC) institutions, national governments, and private sector and civil society organizations.
TMEA seeks to support East African integration by unlocking economic potential through:
- A reduction in transport and related costs along the key corridors in East Africa;
- Supporting EAC institutions to develop a comprehensive framework for regional integration;
- Supporting partner states to substantially increase the implementation of a comprehensive framework for regional integration; and
- Engaging private sector and civil society to positively influence regional integration policies and practices for growth in trade.
TMEA is focused on ensuring gains from trade result in tangible gains for East Africans, in line with the EAC s Development Strategy. Increased trade contributes to increased economic growth and subsequently reduced poverty. Our focus is not just on big business, rather ensuring that trade results in as many pro- poor gains as possible, especially for women. TMEA has its headquarters in Nairobi with branches in Arusha, Bujumbura, Dar es Salaam, Juba, Kampala and Kigali.
To find out more please visit the TMEA website at www.trademarkea.com7
The Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA) is an apex body of Freight Forwarders Associations in the five countries of the East African Community formed in 2005. It is registered and domiciled in the United Republic of Tanzania in 2006 but its Secretariat is situated in Nairobi, Kenya.
Our main focus is professionalizing the industry, provision of information, and advocacy for an effective freight logistics industry in the East African region.
FEAFFA main activities
- Advise National Associations on matters relating to freight forwarding and related activities;
- Promote the image of the Freight Forwarding Industry through public relations;
- Establish and maintain contacts with respective government institutions related to the operations of members and assist, through research and formulation of policies beneficial to the freight forwarding fraternity.
- Spearhead training of members of the national associations, and professionalize the function of the Freight Forwarding Industry.
- Establish professional standards for the Freight Forwarding Industry. FEAFFA runs the EACFFPC certificate course jointly with the East African Revenue Authorities. This course is now a mandatory for all freight logistics service providers in the East African region.
- Evolve, maintain and police a code of conduct for the Freight Forwarding Industry in the Region, to sustain ethics and integrity among member associations and their members. FEAFFA has a code of conduct that guides all practitioners in the east African region.
- Build the capacity of freight forwarders in key emerging issues affecting the freight logistics industry at regional and global level.
Contact8 Details for Officials at FEAFFA Secretariat
To find out more please visit the FEAFFA website at www.feaffa.com9
References
- ^ TMEA (www.trademarkea.com)
- ^ TMEA (www.trademarkea.com)
- ^ TMEA (www.trademarkea.com)
- ^ contact (www.trademarkea.com)
- ^ contact (www.trademarkea.com)
- ^ silas.kanamugire@trademarkea.com (www.trademarkea.com)
- ^ www.trademarkea.com (www.trademarkea.com)
- ^ Contact (www.trademarkea.com)
- ^ www.feaffa.com (www.feaffa.com)
Sponsored Video: The Vision Of Bentley Motors
From the beginnings in 1919 when Walter Owen Bentley first registered his name, via the racing years and the howl of mighty sports cars on the Mulsanne Straight through to the very latest in car manufacturing, Bentley have been at the forefront of prestige automotive design
It is the vision of that founding company that brings us today to the performance and beauty of the new Continental GT Speed – the most powerful Bentley yet
In a series of inspirational and beautifully produced videos that can be seen here, the Company are demonstrating what the pursuit of excellence means
In these days of mass marketing they are showing there is still room for the word ‘bespoke’ in the motoring lexicon; combining traditional craftsmanship with high tech solutions
As a result it comes as no surprise to learn that 90% of all Bentley production over nearly one hundred years is still on the road or preserved in functioning order
That’s a remarkable achievement
In these economically difficult times it may be hard to see the purpose of luxury cars and other products but it is because of them we get innovation and advances in safety and economy, for example
Without high end design the world would never move forward
There’s nothing wrong with having a dream and aspiring to better things
We all enjoy a bit of luxury and from the day that a new driver experiences the pleasure of their first car the die is cast
It is thanks to brands like Bentley Motors that we are able to do this
The continuing pursuit of excellence in automotive technology is thanks to the work of early pioneers like Walter Bentley
Without them the car would just be transport
This post has been sponsored by Bentley but all thoughts are our own
National Air Cargo boost DWC Operations with its 1000th flight …
National Air Cargo, a United States Logistics Provider, which has emerged into a leading global freight solutions provider with presence in Europe, Middle East, Far East and Africa, has achieved yet another significant milestone by operating the 1000th cargo flight from the Dubai World Central (DWC).
Commenting on the achievement, Mr.Alan White, Vice President Ground Operations Middle East, National Air Cargo said: This is indeed a remarkable milestone. This achievement demonstrates the efficient and stable operations of our facilities and enhances our reputation as a reliable supplier of cargo worldwide. Our continued growth stems from our people, who share the same spirit of openness and cooperation in all our activities. This accomplishment is a testament to our team s commitment to excellence.
The milestone achievement of 1000th cargo flight from the DWC was reached in a short span of one year after the first flight that took place in May 2011. To date National is the leading operator out of DWC. With its robust freight forwarding and airline arm, National currently moves cargo in over 220 countries with a fleet of 33 leased or owned aircraft.
National Air Cargo has been providing high quality and efficient freight forwarding services for many military and industrial customers. The company offers airlift operations with appropriate aircraft with payload options ranging from four tons to 250 tons to countries throughout the world. National specializes in express cargo delivery in domestic and international shipments of over-sized, time-sensitive, and special-handling-required cargo and equipment.
National is been operating from Middle East for more than 10 years now with a strong presence in UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and Afghanistan. From regular freight forwarding activities, National emerged into a leading charter operator and now became a specialist in SEA-AIR Multimodal Transportation and Supply Chain Solutions. National also offers Ground Handling Solutions in Middle East.
Having developed a global reputation for exceptional customer service and performance moving high priority shipments across the globe National announced the expansion of its fleet with 3 B747-400F s to suit the requirements of the global market place. This move enabled National s transition into a more modern and fuel efficient fleet in order to provide better service to its customers.
Being part of the expansion, National also acquired 5 B757-200 s and one B757-200 which is in full passenger configuration with 26 First/Business Class seats and 144 coach seats. National Airlines has begun International Passenger Charters, and introduced scheduled passenger charters in Middle East using the B757-200 passenger aircraft. In addition to organic assets, National boasts a virtual fleet of subcontracted assets ranging from AN-124 s, B747-200 s and IL-76 s, to L-100 s.
At National, we always aim to efficiently send and deliver materials and goods all over the world. Our 1000th flight from DWC in a short span of one year is evidence to the experience our company brings. It reaffirms our commitment to strengthening our presence in the Middle East markets while leveraging the strategic advantages of DWC and the UAE in general , commented Mr. Jacob Matthew, President -Asia and Board Member, National Air Cargo.
As of today, National has operated 1131 flights out of Al Makhtoum. We have expanded our warehouse spaces and also the open yards, Matthew said. The other important thing for us there is the connectivity between seaports and DWC. Every day we have more than 100 trucks bringing sea containers to connect to air. So the sea-air corridor is working very well for us and that business has also been increasing. So overall, DWC is working very well for us. For the next two years, National wants to build a plan to get more commercial business. We are trying to balance between the US military business and the commercial business. There is a core team in the company that is looking into the commercial side.
Strengthening Dubai s position as a leading aviation and logistics hub, DWC is a strategic initiative of the Government of Dubai. Strategically located over 140 square kilometers on the southern part of Dubai near Jebel Ali Port, DWC capitalizes sea-to-air transportation and fulfills the Dubai Government s goal of positioning transport and logistics as major agents of economic diversification and development. Its components include Al Maktoum International Airport, and dedicated districts for logistics and aviation.
What Exactly Are Freight Forwarding Agents? | SR22 Insurance …
Freight forwarding agents serve as mid-man on behalf of companies who wants to conduct world wide business. This can be the manufacturers or broker agents of goods who aspire to their very own products transmitted outside of the country, and so are novice or wouldn’t have the personnel to perform the job for them. As brokers, they fulfill the task of both consultant and expediter in order to get the most beneficial costs for shipping, the very best channels that can quicken shipping and delivery, and furthermore negotiating on their own clients benefit with all of the other factors regarding each and every shipment.
The Typical Job Of Freight Forwarding Agents
While freight forwarding professionals don’t actually furnish their personal transportation for merchandise, they do perform hand-in-hand with trustworthy businesses that are better known for their remarkable service. This alleviates the necessity for the designer of the products to have some time choosing rates on shipping from a great deal of service providers, and enables the agent to gather those quotations on their behalf. Once they have all the features that they need between several reputable corporations, they will then give their findings to the client, and answer any queries the customer probably have.
As soon as the client respond positively a certain figure, freight forwarding agents subsequently do the job in their behalf to finalize every piece of information of taking out commodities from point A to single point B. This can include attending to all of the paperwork with regards to the delivery like monthly dues of lading and customs documents, setting up for space of the shipment if there are many variance in taking a trip, and ensuring that all levies or data plans are protected beforehand for each plug-ins of call throughout the center and finishing region.
Some Great Benefits Of Making Use Of Them
Certain explanation why organizations anywhere gain from having the capability to use freight forwarding agents to take care of their shipping demands is that these professionals will have lots of experience of dealing with all facets of global exports and imports. They are knowledgeable in all the legal aspects of taking products throughout both local and worldwide venues, and keep up to date with all the changes in the industries of procedures and insurance plans, so as to rightly serve their transport clients.
They are also proficient in being sure that almost any items transported get to their destinations in the best way you possibly can. They are aware of the appropriate cases to utilize for moving forward subject to spoiling merchandise, for example, and know what can and can’t be transported to a particular country. They are trained in what tariffs or rates may well be costed for a particular country, and they are capable to see deceptive rates or circumstances prior to when they can hold off the delivery of their potential consumer’s supplies.
Cultural Importance
Since the time shipping and delivery of any product began in this country, there have been agents available to carry out all of the necessary arrangements with respect to their potential customers. No matter if it is items being generously donated to an impoverished region, or desired utility materials, like oil, that needs to be shipped in provided by an outside reference, there’s always a necessity of professional freight forwarding professionals.
Gill Bess is a logistics consultant who specializes in transport services in Latin American countries. To browse his information, please click here Lilly Logistica1
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References
- ^ Lilly Logistica (lillylogistica.com)
England Women’s football star drives MG TF
Sue Smith, the England Women’s football team star, has just taken delivery of a MG TF sports car sponsored by MG Motor UK. Sue is renowned for her ever-changing hair styles and colours and sees MG’s sponsorship as recognition of her ambition for the women’s team to succeed “where our men have failed since 1966 and bring the World Cup home.” She obviously collected her MG during the recent hot weather this April as she says”There was glorious sunshine when I picked the car up at the MG Birmingham factory and I can’t wait to drive it – with the top up or down.” Another reason why MG is sponsoring Sue may be to do with the fact that she made her senior debut in the game when she was 14, playing for Rovers Ladies. MG Rovers [sic] – part of their future marketing to women plans perhaps
Go here to read the rest:
England Women’s football star drives MG TF
The freight services sector in Italy
Since the? 1950’s, Italy has developed from being an agriculture based economy to a? major industrialised country and a world leader in international freight services . The freight services sector in Italy has grown at the same time and the remarkable Italian gift for design has been given free rein in the manufacturing of equipment to serve the freight transport sector.
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