Steve Parker’s Column
A man with passion for our industry O ne of the things I love about our industry (and the Director General’s role in particular) is the opportunity to meet so many people who are passionate about what we do and are professional in the way they execute it, and who, over time are not only colleagues and competitors, but become friends as well.
BIFAlink is the official magazine of the British International Freight Association Redfern House, Browells Lane, Feltham TW13 7EP Tel: 020 8844 2266 (A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England: 00391973. VAT Registration: 216476363) Director General Steve Parker s.parker@bifa.org Member Policy & Compliance Director Robert Windsor r.windsor@bifa.org Member Support Director Spencer Stevenson s.stevenson@bifa.org Member Services Director Carl Hobbis c.hobbis@bifa.org Member Engagement Director Denise Hill d.hill@bifa.org International Relations Manager Robert Keen r.keen@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Customs Igor Popovics i.popovics@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Air David Stroud d.stroud@bifa.org Editorial Co-ordinator Sharon Hammond s.hammond@bifa.org Communications Manager Natalie Pitts bifacomms@bifa.org Membership Supervisor Sarah Milton s.milton@bifa.org Published by Park Lane Publishing peter@parklanepublishingltd.com Contributors Steve Parker, Robert Windsor, David Stroud, Spencer Stevenson, Carl Hobbis, Web site: www.bifa.org E-mail: bifa@bifa.org Sharon Hammond, Natalie Pitts, Igor Popovics, Brooke Neilson, Nezda Leigh, Robert Keen, Denise Hill Note to media: If you wish to use items in this magazine that are older than one month, please contact the editor to ensure that the item in question still reflects the current circumstances. Please be advised that BIFA DOES NOT OFFER LEGAL ADVICE. BIFA is not a law firm and the authors of this publication are not legally qualified and do not have any legal training. The guidance and assistance set out herein are based on BIFA’s own experience with the issues concerned and should not be in any circumstances regarded or relied upon as legal advice. It is strongly recommended that anyone considering further action based on the information contained in this publication should seek the advice of a qualified professional.
One of these individuals was Mervyn Griffiths who sadly passed away last month. Mervyn worked at Strategic Shipping and was on his way to work when taken unwell. He and I met regularly and always discussed the topics of the day; whether it was industry related or about his beloved Chelsea, conversation with him was always worthwhile, often challenging, and always good fun. My thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends who I know will miss him dearly.
Direct or Indirect, that is the question! One of the topics Mervyn and I discussed just over a month ago was representation, and how do freight forwarders manage the issue of Indirect representation (with all the risk and liability it brings) when it is often unclear whether the importer is established in the UK. It is a topic that is exercising us at the Secretariat, and you, our Members. Robert Windsor has written many excellent articles on the topic (the August edition of BIFAlink summarised many of the issues and urged members to be vigilant) yet the number of calls and emails we receive continues to grow. See the related article on the Taxation (Cross Border) Trade Act 2018 on pages 20-21 of this issue. The reason for highlighting this in this month’s column is for it to serve as a warning and urge you to ensure when you complete an Indirect declaration that you are fully aware of the potential financial impacts. Sign up for the BIFA Member webinar on 20 September to learn more on this topic. On the subject of dealing with HMRC, BIFA has endorsed the eighth wave of research being carried out by Ipsos on behalf of HMRC in relation to companies who deal with Customs processes. This wave of the research, due to go live in October, will look in particular at the structure of the intermediary industry, Customs processes, transition to the CDS system and experiences around GVMS. Please look out for BIFA emails detailing how you can respond to this research next month. Team away day On a brighter note, we recently held a strategy day for all BIFA staff, during which we discussed many issues that BIFA will need to consider and address as we prepare for 2024 and beyond. Many great ideas were shared and some excellent forward thinking took place, all of which we can build into our 2024 business strategy. But, on that point, if on reading this there is something you feel BIFA should be doing, or at least considering, please do not hesitate to let me know. The cover image of this issue shows almost the entire BIFA team in the conference centre grounds. Finally If you are a business leader please keep 19 October 2023 free in your diary as BIFA will be holding the second of our Business Leaders meetings, where we will do our best to put you in the picture about forthcoming changes that will impact your business and planning. It will also give you a chance to network with other business leaders and find out more about what BIFA is up to and our strategy for the short and medium term.
Director General
September 2023 | 3
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