SSFFA officials posing for a group photo with Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) and the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA) stakeholders in Elegu-Nimule border|Courtesy

A total of 34 regional clearing agents and customs officers including South Sudanese have been awarded certificates following a week-long training on Customs Clearance and Freight Logistics.

The training, which took place at the Elegu-Nimule Border from Friday to Sunday, was delivered by the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) in partnership with the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA) to enhance their skills in critical areas of freight forwarding.

The training session covered several key modules, including Customs and Freight Forwarding, Warehousing, and Basic Management of Freight Forwarding.

The goal was to provide participants with the necessary tools to advance the professionalism of the freight forwarding community in South Sudan.

In an exclusive interview with Eye Radio, SSFFA’s Executive Director, Mawa Moses, said that the initiative was designed to help integrate the sector into more formal, professional entities, citing concerns about malpractices and challenging working conditions within the industry.

According to Mr. Moses, there had been persistent challenges facing the freight forwarding sector, such as misrepresentation, forgery, miscalculations, and a lack of understanding of customs procedures.

He also emphasized the issue of unlicensed brokers, many of whom have tarnished the reputation of professional clearing agents.

“We cannot give up until we achieve our goal,” Moses said. “This is the right time to address these issues and elevate clearing agents to a higher level of professionalism.”

The program aimed to foster better practices and improve knowledge sharing among professionals in the field.

Brian Muyomba, a Senior Facilitator and Lecturer at Makerere University Business School, commended the participants for their engagement throughout the training. He encouraged them to continue learning and leveraging the knowledge gained.

“We trained them with the basics, and there were many interactive and impactful discussions,” Muyomba remarked.

“I’m certainly happy with their progress, and I encourage them to stay in touch with experienced professionals to assist in future training sessions.”

Muyomba also expressed readiness to return to Nimule for additional training when time and resources allow.