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Carri Marais joins BIFA’s expanding training team
FIATA calls for reasonable free time for container usage FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations, has urged shipping lines to review the current free time periods for container usage and to reinstate these back to pre-pandemic levels. Demurrage and detention charges are an important tool for supply chain stakeholders to ensure the efficient use of their container stock, which represents a substantial investment. Understanding the need for maintaining the velocity of cargo, containers need to be turned around as fast as possible. Consequently, merchants who use containers for longer periods should be discouraged from this practice. Best practices on this topic can be found in FIATA’s Toolkit on Detention and Demurrage and the Best Practice Guide on Container Shipping and Quality of Containers Vol 2
BIFA has strengthened its training team with the
“Carri brings knowledge of CDS and actually making declarations into the new system, which brings added experience to the team.” At the time of writing, Carri was just completing her Level 3 Award in Education and Training (PTLLS) qualification. In her spare time, she really enjoys knitting and one day hopes to complete the jumper she has been working on for the last 10 years. She is also a qualified hypnotherapist. BIFA director general, Steve Parker added: “Brexit, the switch from CHIEF to CDS, and the development of a relevant freight forwarding apprenticeship, are among a number of issues that have led to a significant increase in the demand for our training programmes. Carri’s appointment strengthens the team and helps to ensure that we have the resources in place to meet demand.” If you have any training enquiries, contact Carl Hobbis at c.hobbis@bifa.org
appointment in January of Carri Marais as trainer – freight and Customs procedures. Carl Hobbis, executive director at BIFA, who also has overall responsibility for the trade association’s training activities, said that 2022 was another excellent year for BIFA’s training courses, and it is anticipating demand for them to remain high. “With the appointment of another full-time trainer to our training delivery team, we now have a four- strong team based in Yorkshire, Manchester, Birmingham and Heathrow, which will enable us to deliver more training days for our Members during 2023.” Carri, who joins BIFA from DB Schenker, will be based in South Yorkshire. She has over 25 years of experience in freight forwarding and logistics, including the management of import and export consignments across all modes, team building and
training, internal sales, Customs, customer service and key account management, as well as documentation. Prior to DB Schenker, she worked in UPS-SCS for many years, as well as at IFE Global Logistics. Hobbis added: “It is a pleasure to welcome Carri to the team that delivers our freight and Customs training programmes, which go from strength to strength and are
generally seen as the most engaging in the industry.
FIATA’s Toolkit on Detention and Demurrage
HMRC warning to contractors
Best Practice Guide on Container Shipping and Quality of Containers
BIFA has been contacted by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in an effort to spread the word about tax avoidance schemes. These schemes are usually aimed at individuals working as contractors or through agencies and often involve umbrella companies who offer to handle payroll and tax arrangements for the individual. If BIFA Members are using contractors or agency staff, they are urged to ensure that they do not
become inadvertently caught up in such a scheme when recruiting and paying salaries to agencies. HMRC is urging contractors in a wide range of roles across the freight sector not to get caught out by unscrupulous promoters of tax avoidance schemes. Tax avoidance is when people bend the rules of the tax system to try to pay less tax than they should. Every individual is responsible under UK law for paying the correct
amount of tax. This still applies if contractors have appointed someone else to deal with their tax affairs or have been given bad advice – the ultimate responsibility and risk rests with the individual. There is more information on identifying possible tax avoidance schemes on HMRC’s Tax Avoidance – Don’t Get Caught Out
FIATA notes that it is the obligation of shipping lines to provide a reasonable free period to allow the merchant sufficient time for: • The loading and delivery of the container for an export; • The pick-up, unloading and return of the empty container for an import. Whilst the decision to reduce the free time periods was one- sided, market conditions have in the meantime changed and justifications for status quo no longer remain valid. Read the full FIATA press release at https://fiata.org/n/fiata-calls-for- reasonable-free-time-for-container
campaign webpage. Scan the QR code to learn more.
BIFA Membership: Your annual subscription is now OVERDUE
If you have not yet made payment for the annual subscription, you are reminded that your remittance is now overdue. Following the issue of the Company Declaration to all BIFA Members in late 2022, the annual
subscription invoice for 2023 membership was sent in January. In order to continue to benefit from the protection afforded to your business under the BIFA Standard Trading Conditions 2021, advice and information and access to
regional meetings, it is essential that your membership is renewed promptly. If you have a query relating to membership and your renewal, contact Sarah Milton, membership supervisor (s.milton@bifa.org).
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April 2023
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