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Keeping in mind the missions and objective of FCFASA, as representative of Mozambique Freight Forwarders associations, I accepted the roll of FCFASA Federation President for March 2020 to February 2022 mandate, and re-elected for the second mandate March 2022 to February 2024, to lead and steer the Federation during these two terms.
In 2020 and 2021, as an industry, we faced the initial stringent Covid-19 logistics challenges and restriction to the industry and changes to the global market and way of doing business.
As an industry, in order to survive and sustain our businesses and SMEs, which are the majority players in the African Logistics and Freight Forwarding industry, we had to adapt, become more resilient and flexible in the face of the stringent Covid-19 restriction and measures taken by individual member state countries.
The above challenges and constants changes made FCFASA, with the aid of SADC Secretariat, make the SADC member state countries align and implement unified Covid-19 transit regulations and measures.
In 2021, FCFASA amended it’s constitution to ensure that our federation body spoke with one concessive voice. The amendment incorporated member countries with more than one national logistics and freight forwarding association. The multiple associations chair and vice-chairs were invited, brought in to participate in our discussions, and collectively propose solutions to the industry challenges. FCFASA also changed its constitution in 2021 from a SADC to a PAN African Federation in order to embrace the pace of the African Continent Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) launched on 1st January, 2021 and already ratified by 44 of the 54 countries in Africa up to date (September 2022).
The above amendment of the FCFASA constitution enforced our current role as a regional and pan African body by ensuring we have:
- Inclusivity
- Collectively
- Unified regional and continental industry voice.
FCFASA, with the implemented AfCFTA Agreement, have been strongly advocating and pushing for synergy in trade facilitation polices and guidelines, through dialogue with our member states counterparts in their implementation of best practice in Africa, by Africa, for Africa at all levels. We have been actively engaged with SADC BC, COMESA, EAC, WCO ESA RSPG in majority of the discussion which involves trade facilitation and enhancement of regional programs that promote ease of movement of transit goods and regulation and policy harmonization to ensure the efficient and effective movement of cargo, as in line with our mission, visions and objectives,
As FCFASA/Private Sector, we have increased our advocacy for fair trade and trade facilitation at all levels and are being the pioneers in proposing/recommending improved changes in areas that we face bottlenecks to our stakeholders and counterparts. The unified, inclusive logistics and freight forward industry voice at Pan African level and advocacy have become our motto in all our dealings with all stakeholders.
We envisage towards the collective and progressive improvement of trade facilitation of our ind ustry in Africa by complying with the regulations and continued advocating for improved efficient and effective movement of cargo in a transparent trade facilitated working environment.