Logistical snag holds up plans to harmonise regional customs procedures

EFFORTS BY the Federation of Clearing and Forwarding Associations of Southern Africa to make headway in the harmonisation of regional customs procedures have hit a logistical brick wall.
Regional stakeholders planned to meet in Lusaka last August to discuss the simplification of customs forms and procedures, but the meeting had to be postponed when the Zimbabwean Customs Authorities were unable to be present.
Problems in holding meetings of the Federation of Clearing and Forwarding Associations of Southern Africa are twofold, says executive director of the SA Association of Freight Forwarders Ed Little.
Firstly, only the associations of Zimbabwe and South Africa have permanent secretariats. Secondly, the cost of travel, even to Harare, and the rather awkward airline schedules, make it impossible to get there and back in one day. This makes meetings very expensive.
Little told the annual meeting of SAAFF recently that there were only two meetings of the Federation last year, both held in Harare.
Cancellation of the third meeting in Lusaka scheduled for August was a great pity, he said, because in addition to freight forwarders' associations and customs, the Road Freight Association had also been invited, thus providing a major opportunity for the leading role players to air their problems and possibly to reach solutions.
By the time a notice of a subsequent meeting had been circulated the momentum had been lost and the meeting was cancelled.
No meetings have been held this year, says Little. This was unfortunate, he said, because the Federation was the first regional association to be accredited to the SADC, and is therefore one of the few bodies, in terms of the protocol on transport communications and meteorology, entitled to participate as equal partners in the process of implementation.