STATE Minister in the Finance and Public Service Ministry Fayval Williams has hailed customs brokers and freight forwarders for their work in facilitating global trade.

Speaking at a banquet to mark the 50th anniversary of the Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of Jamaica, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston on May 7,Williams lauded the association for its role in removing the hassle from clearing goods.

“Imagine if everyone receiving freight or a package had to show up at Customs to clear it themselves, what chaos would emerge,” said the state minister, who represented Prime Minister Andrew Holness at the function.

While acknowledging the gains made by the group, Williams informed that more work needs to be done, especially as “countries expand trade and modernise their ports to facilitate the speed of trade.”

Meanwhile, President of the Association, Marcia Bent, noted that her organisation has shown great resilience in the last 50 years when faced with “difficult odds”.

According to her, the association has learnt in those years that it must not “live within the precincts of our problems and challenges.”

For his part, Commissioner of Customs, Major Richard Reese, paid tribute to the contribution of customs brokers and freight forwarders. He emphasised that it is time to embrace changes that will facilitate a paperless system, enabling millions of dollars in savings.