Members of the Tema Chapter of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) have undergone a 3-day workshop on the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), to provide them with the requisite capacity so they can execute their roles well as trade facilitators in this new era of trade.
The Ghana Revenue Authority collaborated with German international corporation, GIZ, as facilitators for the sensitisation workshop.
The freight forwarders were taken through the various tenets of the trade, especially the rules of origin component.
AfCFTA consultant, Dode Seidu, noted that the sensitisation is also critical to leverage on freight forwarders to educate potential importers and exporters under the free trade.
“They will be in a very good position to advise their clients, importers and exporters as to the market opportunities that African countries provide. They will be very important in leading the clients in the right direction.”
He said that freight forwarders should not feel threatened against the backdrop that it is not mandatory across board for the services of a customs brokers under the AfCFTA.
“Freight forwarders should continue to provide their services, specialise and improve on the capacity by attending programmes like this. They should network with other freight forwarders so that they can extend their services beyond the borders of this country,” the AfCFTA consultant added.
The Tema Chairman of GIFF, Forwarder Johnny Mantey, called for continuous sensitisation of the freight forwarding fraternity considering their indispensable role in trade and logistics.
He argued that while the services of a customs broker may not be compulsory within AfCFTA, it is near impossible for traders to do without freight forwarders due to certain technical complexities in the trade.
