Mozambique’s Desiderio Fernandes remains as president of the Federation of Clearing and Forwarding Associations of Southern Africa (FCFASA), which has evolved into a prominent pan-African body, ref lecting its expanded inf luence and commitment to the continent's logistics sector.Speaking to Freight News, Fernandes said the pan-African scope of the federation was an important development as it significantly enhanced collaboration.“By covering multiple countries, the federation fosters greater collaboration among clearing and forwarding agents, shipping lines and other stakeholders. This collective effort can lead to more effective solutions to common challenges and encourage best practices,” he said. “It will also assist in calls for more harmonisation of standards and practices across different countries, which can reduce inefficiencies, streamline operations and facilitate smoother cross-border logistics.”Fernandes has long advocated for greater regional stability and integration across Africa. “Collaborating to address common issues, promoting cooperative strategies, and developing shared infrastructure and services can yield far greater benefits than isolated efforts at the national level,” he said.He highlighted the ongoing challenges in regions such as southern Africa, where harmonisation remained a significant hurdle. “Governments often fear that increased regional integration could lead to a loss of revenue, which leads to a reluctance to fully embrace these initiatives,” he said. “For too long, efforts have been conducted in silos. National interests and the fear of revenue loss hinder progress towards a unified regional approach.”Fernandes also pointed out the fragmentation in private sector advocacy. “While there is agreement on the need for regional integration, individual countries often pursue their own agendas, which can conf lict with broader regional goals. This lack of trust and coordinated effort among member states impedes meaningful progress.”But, he said, there was growing realisation that regional and continental integration was far more beneficial.“Governments are beginning to recognise the value of not only improved integration and collaboration but the need to include the private sector, whose perspective is invaluable in shaping policies that can swiftly lead to positive changes.”This evolving dynamic ref lects a growing recognition of the need for regional cooperation and the positive impact that comprehensive private sector engagement can have on trade policies and services.Recognising efforts by the East African Community, which has made major strides with regional customs unions and parliaments to manage non-tariff barriers, enforcing agreements at national level and implementing common currency digital platforms, Fernandes said there was much that could be achieved working together.“We have made significant progress with improved relationships between the federation and other regional bodies over the past year. We are now actively engaged in various discussions on trade and services policies, which are crucial for advancing regional integration.” LV
