• Vows To Deal With Quacks
The much-expected enforcement of the regulations of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) holds today in all its operational zones.
Coming for the first time since 2007 when its Act was enacted; the enforcement is expected to jolt many of the non-registered, but practicing freight forwarders, who still ply their trade in the nation’s entry points.
• Vows To Deal With Quacks
The much-expected enforcement of the regulations of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) holds today in all its operational zones.
Coming for the first time since 2007 when its Act was enacted; the enforcement is expected to jolt many of the non-registered, but practicing freight forwarders, who still ply their trade in the nation’s entry points.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that, section 30 of Act number 16 of 2007 which established the CRFFN defines a freight forwarder as any person or company who arranges the carriage or movement of goods and associated formalities on behalf of an importer or exporter along the international boundaries of sea ports, cargo airports or land border stations.
As at June 30 the CRFFN has 1976 registered individuals, 567 corporate members, five registered freight forwarding associations and 10 accredited training institutions.
Although details of the all-important flag-off of enforcement were sketchy as at press time, Shipping Position Daily that the enforcement will be flagged-off by the Council’s Registrar in Lagos.But, when our correspondent eventually got the Registrar; Mr Mike Jukwe on the telephone, he confirmed that the flag-off is to ensure that freight forwarders comply with provision of the CRFFN Act.
He hinted that, with the flag-off, the era of impunity among registered freight forwarders was over, even as he sounded a note of warning that, the enforcement also meant that, henceforth, none-registered freight forwarders stand the risk of being arrested for practicing without being registered.
Asked why the enforcement is coming six years after the Council Act was enacted, the Registrar explained that, while it is true that the Act was enacted in 2007, the CRFFN actually commenced operations in 2008, and that the Registrar was only appointed in 2009.
“In other institutions, it could take much longer to begin enforcement, CRFFN actually began full operations after the appointment of the Registrar, and after then , but, you will agree with me that a lot of things are being put in place”.
He confirmed that the flag-off will hold simultaneously in all its operational zones.
Under its enabling Act, the CRFFN is empowered to determining the persons or cases of persons who constitute freight forwarders for the purposes of this Act, determining the standards of knowledge and skill to be attained by persons seeking to be registered as freight forwarders and raising those standards from time to time in accordance with international industry practice.
It is also empowered to: Regulate and control the practice of freight forwarding, regulate and control all the associations of freight forwarding agents, regulate and control persons who are engaged in freight forwarding and also ensure uniform standards of professional conduct and education relevant to freight forwarding practice
It equally has the powers of having a register of persons entitled to practice as registered freight forwarders and the publication from time to time of the list of such persons.
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