The immediate past Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) Mr. Hassan Bello has urged the Federal Government to strengthen the Council for the Regulations Of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN) ,stating that the Council needs to be strengthened to grant operational licenses to Freight Forwarders.
Bello who was the guest speaker at the maiden graduation ceremony in Freight Forwarding and Supply Chain Management of CRFFN, informed that licensing of agents ( Freight Forwarders) by Customs is archaic and local, stating that the Freight Forwarders need to take a place in the port business.
He added that the ports need to be efficient and digitalized, hence the need for training of Freight Forwarders who are major players in the industry. This is even as he added that the major function of the Council is the training of the practitioners.
The former NSC boss also lamented the long cargo clearance process at the ports, stating that there is need for the nation’s port to operate 24hrs for efficiency.
According to him, “the practice of freight forwarding is very important as far as the logistics chain is concerned as it is an economic activity that would help the country.
“We need an efficient infrastructure, our port, road, rail and other modes of transportation to be efficient. We need investment in soft infrastructure, massive transportation modules, so that the practice of freight forwarding can be professionalised.
“The freight forwarders share a relationship with shippers, they move goods from one point to the other, so they must be trained to avoid things that are negative as far as cargo clearance is concerned.
“And I am talking about delays and how Nigeria will reduce it’s dwell time. And when the freight forwarders are trained, they will help shorten the dwell time.
We need to create a good image for freight forwarders as the image of them being a tout has got to stop and there is no time than today. Right now as they graduate, they should know how to handle their statutory responsibility. Nigeria will merge with the international community in institutionalizing professionalism, honesty, dignity in the profession.
“They should also embrace technology, our ports must be contactless, paperless, we have to conduct our businesses in the comfort of our offices and this will help in the area of trade facilitation.
It is the role of freight forwarding to ensure that technology was brought to bear for providing solutions to movement of cargo and this has started today.
Freight forwarders are central to digitisation of our ports, simplification of our processes.
“It is important that government must pay more attention to international trade. The collection of payment should not be levy on cargo.
“There is need to embrace port community system to reduce the numbers of documentation.
“Customs is important to the clearance of cargoes but CRFFN needs to be strengthen so as they can grant licensed to agents, the idea of Customs licensing agents is local, we want freight forwarding practice to take a place in the business of port trade.
Read Also: Compliance To Payment Of POF By Freight Forwarders Very Low – Registrar CRFFN
“Freight Forwarders must be trained to avoid things that are negative in the industry, the image of freight forwarders seen as tout has to stop” he said.
Speaking earlier the Registrar of the CRFFN, Barr. Samuel Nwakohu said the graduation ceremony for graduates in Freight Forwarding and Supply Chain Management marks a new vista in the search for fulfillment in line with the mandate of CRFFN.
He said nurturing the Council and ensuring that its registered practitioners are professionals, have been a challenging one as a result of stereotyping.
He informed that the average practitioner of old, saw themselves as a ‘clearing agent’, whose responsibility begins and ends at the various terminals in the ports.
He however said CRFFN has succeded in changing the narrative informing that Freight Forwarders is no longer restricted to the ports but a long chain.
Kindly like us on Facebook
Discussion about this post