International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) executive, Bob Ronai, has become the first ever Incoterms 2020 expert to present a masterclass webinar specifically dedicated to and designed for developing nations.
Trade will continue to grow despite Covid-19 challenges, and African and other developing countries must ensure that they can conduct global business according to the highest international standards, says the Incoterms drafting specialist.
Ronai was due to personally make an Incoterms presentation in Southern Africa.
However, the impact of the virus curtailed his travel plans.
He will now, in partnership with GMLS, deliver an Incoterms presentation across the African continent via webinar on the June 9 and 11 in two full morning sessions.
The reasoning behind the staggered event is to allow organisations, their management and employees, to plan attendance under lifting lockdown and home-based restrictions, and still have a gap between to catch up with work and address pressing issues without the restriction of a full-day binding commitment.
This stance is shared by Dumisani Ntuli, chief director of Maritime Policy and Legislation at the Department of Transport.
"We have included Incoterms as a key area of focus within the revised Draft CMTP Decade Implementation Plan, and clearly the objectives in emerging legislation, such as the Draft Merchant Shipping Bill, will evidence the desire for South Africa to increase its role in the provision of maritime shipping services."
Ntuli added that capacity is key to the desired result and a thorough knowledge of the new ICC Incoterms 2020 version is critical.
It is widely accepted that the correct and strategic use of Incoterms can change the GDP of SA.
The perceived short-sighted vision of some of the prominent role players in the country’s commodity exports, the absence of significant SA-owned groupage and consolidated service providers, the general failure to recognise the strategic importance of shipping in the South African economy, and general unawareness among the global trading and freight community, has led to a lack of general knowledge and skills depletion in the industry.
Naturally, it also led to the loss of revenue or retention thereof for the GDP of the Republic.
The participant’s will be able to study in advance via online training modules and write an exam, thus meeting the objectives of immediate capacity building. A first of this nature according to CEO of GMLS, Mark Goodger.