A total of 246 clearing and freight forwarding professionals Friday 9th September attained the East Africa Customs and Freight Forwarding Practicing Certificate (EACFFPC) in a colorful graduation ceremony in Kigali Rwanda. The 6th graduation ceremony was held at Nobleza Hotel in Kigali.
The newly graduated cohort joins over 7000 certified customs and freight forwarding professionals in East Africa, that are positively impacting the regional logistics sector with the skills acquired from this training since the EACFFPC Training Programme was launched in 2006.
The ceremony was attended by the key logistics sector players including the East Africa Community (EAC), TradeMark East Africa (TMEA, Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (CCTTFA), and the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA). It was presided over by Mr. Felicien Mwumvaneza, the Commissioner of Customs at RRA.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony Mr. Mwumvaneza hailed the training as a great trade enabler for the East African nation.
Congratulating the graduating cohort, TradeMark East Africa Rwanda Programme Manager, David Butera, lauded the growing capacity of clearing and freight forwarding professionals in the country as key to enhancing the movement of both raw materials and finished goods.
“As a land-linked country, efficient movement of cargo along regional corridors is of great importance to Rwanda’s economy. It reduces the cost of cargo, thereby enhancing access and competitiveness of Rwandese goods. This important program fits well within our mandate of growing prosperity in the region through trade” said Mutesi.
FEAFFA president Mr. Fred Seka challenged the graduates to always exhibit professionalism throughout their work life.
“I personally believe that professional and compliant agents always have an upper hand when dealing with their clients” Seka added.
David Rwigema, the chairman of Rwanda Freight Forwarders Association (RWAFFA) said that the training was important to the clearing and forwarding agents who handle goods worth millions.
“When doing business, the client and revenue authorities expect Clearing and forwarding agents to assess and remit expected taxes.”, added David saying that this can only be achieved through proper training.
EACFFPC is a professional course offered under the apex freight body, Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA) in collaboration with East African Revenue Authorities, the EAC Directorate of Customs, and the National Associations of the Freight Forwarding industry, and with financial support from TradeMark East Africa, aims at cutting down transport and logistics costs as well as time along key trade corridors, which constitute a significant part of trade costs in the region. Equipping freight logistics industry professionals with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to enable them clear cargo more efficiently and effectively.
In Rwanda, the course is managed in a partnership between the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) and the Rwanda Freight Forwarders Association (RWAFFA) under close supervision of the National Curriculum Implementation Committee (NCIC).
The Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (CCTTFA) supported NCIC Rwanda to deliver EACFFPC training at the borders.
EACFFPC was adopted by the 39th meeting of the Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance, and Investment (SCTIFI) as the regional training program in East Africa.
FEAFFA believes by technically equipping clearing agents, will cause a ripple effect on excellence in service delivery, trade facilitation, and maximization of tax revenue for national development.
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