Customs brokers call for greater investments in training and development | News
Jamaican customs brokers were among the influential voices at a recently concluded meeting at the World Customs Organisation (WCO) in Brussels, calling for greater investments in training investments to level the playfield for small island developing states, to better leverage AI-powered digital technologies in their customs and logistics operations.
At this meeting with WCO subject matter experts, convened by the International Federation of Customs Brokers Associations (IFCBA), Clive Coke, the immediate past president of the Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of Jamaica (CBFFAJ) and Vice-President Hazelyn Brown, shared some of the achievements of Jamaica’s customs brokering industry against the backdrop of the discussions on the harmonised system of tariff classification, developments in rules of origin, initiatives for green customs, and strategies for business resilience.
“We made significant connections at this important meeting,” said Coke, who also sits as a managing director on the board of the IFCBA. “We will now follow through to deepen our existing collaborations, and to capitalise on the relationships we established here in Brussels. We are keen to learn from the world leaders in customs and global logistics to improve our technical knowledge, and our efficiencies and service delivery,” added Coke.
A major topic of interest at the meeting, which was also attended by the WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders, centred on the education and professional development of customs brokers globally, and exploring opportunities for global certification.
Incoming CBFFAJ President, Marcia Bent, said she was pleased with the advances made in Brussels, pointing out that the Association has been very focused on the education and professional development of its membership of over 200 licensed customs brokers and logistics professionals.
“Our CBFFAJ Training and Knowledge Management Series has been instrumental in building the technical knowledge and exposure of our members to international best practice. We will continue to expand our training and development initiatives to be on par with the rest of the world,” Bent said.
