Lamin Basse Bojang, the Assistant Secretary General of the Association of Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agencies, made the revelation at the Association's annual general meeting (AGM) at the weekend at the National Nutrition Agency.
The meeting brought together clearing agents and key stakeholders to devise strategies for the development of the Association.
“We successfully completed our registration exercise and registered one hundred and twenty-two licenced agents with nine new members making a total of one hundred and thirty-one registered agencies,” he stated.
He said the executive issued official staff identification cards to promote professionalism and proper identification.
“I am pleased to report that nearly 99 per cent of our staff are now issued with ID cards, amounting to a total of 887 cards,” he said.
These ID cards are now officially recognised by all key stakeholders, including the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA), Albayrak, the customs department at the seaport l, and at the GRA long room at the headquarters.
“They are now used for staff verification during document processing and daily operational activities,” he said.
The Association achieved significant improvement, chief among which is the container turnaround time, which has become more efficient and predictable.
“These improvements have eased operational challenges for many members,” he said, adding: “However, one major key challenge remains with Maersk Line concerning the increase in container deposits. The deposit level introduced is very high and beyond the capacity of many clearing agents.”
He urged members to continue conducting their business with discipline, honesty and professionalism.
