Training of freight forwarders in the East Africa region is set for review to equip practitioner’s with new skills due to the many dynamics the sector has experienced in the recent years.
With the support of Trademark East Africa (TMEA), the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA), the umbrella body representing all the clearing agents, has hired a consultant who is currently updating the curriculum.
Once the curriculum is ready, FEAFFA will partner with regional revenue authorities through their training institutions to equip freight forwarders in the East Africa region with the needed skills.
A partnership between FEAFFA, the East African Revenue Authorities, National associations of the Freight Forwarding industry and the EAC Directorate of Customs rolled out the East African Customs and Freight Forwarding Practicing Certificate (EACFFPC), a training program that has in over a decade now sought to professionalize the sector.
“The industry has undergone significant transformations. The curriculum in place was developed over 10 years ago, hence why we need to update it with new trends in the freight forwarding industry,” Fred Seka, FEAFFA President said.
In partnership with TMEA, FEAFFA is rolling out the second phase of the EACFFPC training intervention for customs agents and freight forwarders dubbed the EAC Logistics Sector Skills Enhancement Programme.
The programme aims at equipping practicing or prospective custom agents and freight forwarders with requisite skills and competencies in customs and freight forwarding.
Since 2007 when the EACFFPC training programme was started, over 6000 customs agents and freight forwarders have qualified from the program in the region. TMEA has been supporting the implementation of this programme since 2011 to equip agents with desirable competencies in the discharge of their functions in order to enhance compliance, professionalism and facilitate trade.
The ongoing update of the curriculum follows a market survey recently conducted to identify the training needs of the industry aligned to real labour market needs and opportunities in the freight forwarding operating environment. modern day customs agency and freight forwarding operations and their requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes.
The survey also assessed the appropriateness of the EACFFPC in addressing the needs and requirements of modern-day customs agents, freight forwarders and warehousing operations from the perspective of the employers, customers and principals.
Other areas of focus were on benchmarking the curriculum in its current form with other professional training and capacity building initiatives in other regions.
Assessing the suitability of a progressively structured (tiered approach) to professional training for customs agents and freight forwarders in the targeted East African market and training capacity were also factors that have prompted the review.
Last year, the Freight Forwarding fraternity adopted a new policy framework that now requires firms seeking customs agency and bonded warehouse license to have at least one manager or CEO or Director holding the EACFFPC in addition to meeting the previous requirement of two staff dealing directly with customs.
The framework also paved the way for review of the training program to address issues of progression, duration, equivalence, and entry requirements that have in the past affected the training programme.
“It further paved the way for development of a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme for the industry to ensure EACFFPC graduates are kept technically and professionally up to date,” Seka said.
The policy framework finally seeks recognition of training of the Customs agents and Customs bonded warehouse keepers in the East African Community legal instruments.
Last year’s High Level Policy Meeting brought together the Director General of Customs and Trade of EAC, Commissioners of Customs of the Revenue Authorities of the Partner States of EAC, Chairpersons of national associations of the customs clearing and freight forwarding agencies and the President of the Federation. This is the highest decision-making organ of the EACFFPC programme.
