Regional Freight Forwarders Body Launches Simplified Code of Conduct to Boost EAC Economies
Malaba, Kenya/Uganda, February 8, 2012: The Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA) has unveiled a simplified version of the industry Code of Conduct aimed at entrenching integrity and professionalism among clearing and forwarding professionals in the region.
The original version of the Code of Conduct was launched in Nairobi last year in a bid to create a corruption-free transit and logistics supply chain throughout the East Africa region.
Formed in 2005, FEAFFA is the apex private sector body representing the freight forwarding industry in the Eastern Africa Region. In effecting its mandate, the association is working in collaboration with five Revenue Authorities in the East African Community (EAC) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), East Africa Mission based in Nairobi.
The simplified version is a captivating summary of the original version and is much easier and more entertaining to read complete with cartoons used in communicating FEAFFA’s objectives to players in the freight industry.
According the FEAFFA Chief Executive Officer John Mathenge the simplified version was compiled in consideration of the busy nature of the industry and the fact that the target audience is often on the move.
“The simplified version of the Code of Conduct is much easier to read with hilarious cartoons used to communicate our key objectives. The message is captured at a glance,” said Mathenge.
Various stakeholders in the transit and logistics industry, Revenue Authorities, government ministries, transit corridor authorities, port operators, freight forwarders, and development partners attended the launch at Malaba on the border of Kenya and Uganda.
“An important part of this Code of Conduct is to raise awareness within the freight forwarding industry, the public sector and among the general public of the code of professional behavior for the industry,” he said.
The FEAFFA Code of Conduct highlights the ethical standards expected of all operators in the region. It was developed in a consultative and collaborative process with all the members of FEAFFA and its stakeholders; several of whom have endorsed the document. The key stakeholders include all the Revenue Authorities in the EAC, the EAC Secretariat, Port Authorities, Maritime Authorities, corridor transit associations in the region, cargo owners, manufacturers, and the East African Business Council.
EAC member countries have stated their commitment to professionalizing the freight and logistics industry considering that 50 percent of the cost component of most goods is made up of transport costs within the region.
There are approximately 3000 freight and logistics forms across East Africa employing thousands of people. The USAID COMPETE Program has supported FEAFFA with a grant of Kshs 22 million (US$246,000) over two years to help the body become a self-sustaining regional business association that is effective in championing the growth and development of an efficient, professional, self-regulated and competitive freight logistics industry. The Code of Conduct is an integral part of this work supported by USAID.
Under the program, FEAFFA has already trained more than 1500 freight and logistics clearing and forwarding agents who have earned the East Africa Customs Freight Forwarding Practicing Certificate (EACFFPC). The target is train a total of 5000 agents by 2013.
