Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
THE Shipping and Forwarding Agents’ Association of Zimbabwe (SFAAZ) has signed a historic agreement with the World Customs Organisation (WCO), which gives rights to the association to sell and distribute e-learning solutions offered by the WCO Academy.
WCO was established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) and is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations.
Today, the WCO represents 186 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively process approximately 98 percent of world trade.
The WCO Academy is the organisation’s e-learning portal for the private sector and academia.
It is a platform where representatives from the trade community are able to access e-learning courses, webinars, books and news.
The academy has also been described as the private sector’s point of access to the World Customs Organisation’s expertise.
Under the WCO Academy, SFAAZ will offer various courses such as the Harmonised System, Customs Valuation, Data Analytics, Transfer Pricing, Single Window, the Authorised Economic Operator Scheme, the SAFE Framework of Standards, Trade Facilitation and Kyoto Agreement and the WCO Data Model amongst others.
Commenting on this historic development, Shipping and Forwarding Agents Association of Zimbabwe (SFAAZ) CEO Mr Washington Dube said the agreement is a game-changer for Customs and Trade Professionals and students in Zimbabwe.
“SFAAZ has already taken advantage of this agreement and embedded some WCO courses into their highly sought-after Customs and Legislation (CLP) diploma, making the course more attractive and global in nature,” he said.
“The Agreement is a shot in the arm in light of the imminent trade by Zimbabwe under on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as they will be courses on origin and preference which speaks to Trade Agreements and that companies wishing to upskill their staff, or
Universities wishing to offer access to the courses to their students and faculty, will benefit from this partnership between SFAAZ and the WCO.”
Mr Dube further alluded that the courses will play a crucial part in ensuring that players involved in importation and exportation of goods have the requisite skills and that the courses will be widely available as they courses will be offered via online platforms.
