Training company to get Bots forwarders up to speed on Customs

Skills development remains

a critical element in the

development of the logistics

industry in Botswana.

According to Lucas Barreto,

chairman of the Freight &

Customs Clearing Agents

Association

of Botswana

(FCCAAB),

improving the

skills base of

small, local

forwarders is

therefore not

only a challenge

but also a

priority.

Many

forwarders in

the country

were still

not proficient in electronic

customs systems and were doing

everything manually, he said.

In an attempt to address

this, the association was in the

process of engaging a training

company to work with members

on an individual basis, said

Barreto.

“Our ultimate goal is to see all

forwarders using the electronic

service, but to do that we have

to improve the

education and

training around

it,” he said. “We

are currently

in talks with

a training

company to

provide such

a service. We

believe if we

improve the

education and

train forwarders

to be more

proficient in the electronic

systems many of the problems

being experienced with customs

will be reduced.”

He said it was not uncommon

in Botswana for forwarding

companies to owe customs large

sums of money. “This is simply

because they have keyed in the

wrong codes. This change alone

would be hugely beneficial.”

He said providing more

guidelines to companies –

many of which were small local

operators – would change the

landscape dramatically.

“It will ensure companies are

more efficient and the hold-up

in the movement of cargo will

be decreased dramatically.”

But, he said, besides

the challenges and

trade barriers,

FCCAAB had

developed

excellent business

relationships with

the Botswana

Revenue

Service (Burs)

and other

government

and NGO service providers that

aided members significantly.

CAPTION

Many forwarders in the

country are still not

proficient in electronic

customs systems and

are doing everything

manually.

– Lucas Barreto