KINGSTON, Jamaica – Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Emina Tudakovic has called on custom brokers and freight forwarders to embrace modern business processes, and at the same time be vigilant against unscrupulous and illegal goods coming into the island.

“Ensuring the border security of the country is a collective responsibility, custom brokers are critical in this process,” said Tudakovic, who was the keynote speaker at the 57th Annual General Meeting of the Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of Jamaica (CBFFAJ) at Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, on Sunday. “Security and counter terrorism is [the] responsibility of all – defence agencies, immigration, and custom brokers form an integral process.”

The Canadian High Commissioner highlighting the long-standing bilateral trade relationship – Canada is Jamaica’s second largest trade partner, said that her country is keen for continued growth and development of business relations.

She also encouraged the custom brokers to work collectively, move to modernise and streamline processes. “It is imperative that you [custom brokers and freight forwarders] speak in a collective voice.”

Meanwhile, President of the Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of Jamaica (CBFFAJ), Clive Coke was in agreement with the Canadian High Commissioner, thanking her for Canada’s continued support to the customs brokerage sector.

“Our association remains strong and relevant,” Coke told his colleagues, “Together, our voices become stronger, our advocacy becomes more effective, and our friendship and collaboration will always yield quick and vast results.”

Coke expounded that over the past year, CBFFAJ has been embracing a global outlook. A team from the association visited Singapore and got an insight into the processes, which he said are best in the world. “It was an eye-opening experience,” he said.

“Jamaica has the strategic advantage and expertise to [be] among the best in the world in customs broking and freight forwarding,” Coke added.

Going forward, Coke reiterated the call for CBFFAJ, which is approaching its 60th anniversary, to become more global in their outlook. “We must also strive to be globally competitive, meaning how we organise and operate must be equal to, or better than, similar organisations to ours around the world,” he said.

Coke, who is in the third year as president of CBFFAJ, said that the custom brokers and freight forwarders business need to invest in themselves and the staff and people and work collectively to achieve the goals and objectives.

“That is how an entrepreneur, a business and a nation build sustainable success. That is how we will achieve global relevance,” Coke said. “We also learnt that isolation only serves to weaken us, and that to thrive, we need community, and we need each other.”