SASTALC, in the presence of 16 Central and West African countries, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Collaboration with the Union of Africa Shippers Council (UASC). As such, UASC is now the 18th associate member of SASTALC.
The signing is seen as a win/win agreement for both councils in which greater levels of collaboration, particularly in areas of common interest, will ensue. “There is a lot that we can learn from each other, especially in the area of corridors, in ensuring that our global supply chains are enhanced,” says SASTALC CEO Brenda Horne-Ferreira. “It was encouraging to learn from UASC that they are progressing at both Africa Union secretariat level as well as within individual councils when it comes to popularisation of the WTO agreement on trade facilitation and development, and forging partnerships across global, regional and local organisations,” she adds. “SASTALC is encouraged by the support shippers have received against the mandatory weighing of containers, while the professionalisation of shippers and the granting of licenced economic operators (LEOs) have been welcomed. Creation of the single windows for trade, formation of National Trade Facilitation Committees, development of trade facilitation on infrastructure and equipment, port tariffs and efforts to drive down costs and the implementation of the African Maritime Transport Charter, are other notable achievements,” she adds.
Prior to the MoU signing, the director general of the Congolese Shippers Council facilitated a visit to the port city of Pointe-Noire as well as to the river port in Brazzaville, where SASTALC was received by the Minister of Transport and many other public and private sector stakeholders.
All parties expressed the need to learn from corridor developments and linkages in order to increase trade between South Africa and Cameroon. Both countries will benefit from an effective transport corridor, said to be developed in the very near future.
