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Beitbridge Bureau
THE International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) has chosen Zimbabwe to host a two-week training course aimed at improving customs and forwarding services and strengthening international trade.The Shipping and Forwarding Agents Association of Zimbabwe’s chief executive officer Joseph Musariri confirmed the development.

He said the course would be conducted by four internationally acclaimed instructors between April 30 and May 14 at a hotel in the capital, Harare.

Musariri said they had since identified 35 participants who include officials from institutions of higher learning such as Chinhoyi University of Technology and HEXCO, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and senior managers from the shipping and forwarding industry.

The training will be sponsored by the FIATA Foundation.

“This valuable course comes against the background that Zimbabwe is one of only about seven countries in Africa that are accredited by the world body (FIATA) to conduct international training programmes in freight  logistics.

“It’s only Zimbabwe and South Africa that have the accreditation in the whole  of southern, east and central Africa. The rest are in West and North Africa,” he  said.

We’re looking forward to sharpening our skills as a country in terms of logistics, efficiency, international trade, movement of cargo and the application of international customs standards in all our operations at the ports of entry.”

Musariri said Zimbabwe was selected to conduct the training following a visit to the country by officials from FIATA  in June last year who carried out a  successful pre-qualification exercise that included interviewing prospective participants.

He said the course would be an  intensive 14-day programme with long schedules of up to 12hours a day or more  with examinations at the end of the  course.

Musariri said the course would also help in developing Zimbabwe as a regional hub for expertise in terms of training, logistics and customs forwarding from the supply chain.