Freight Forwarders

BIFA expresses reservations over latest funding for customs training

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has expressed some reservations about the government’s announcement this week over funding for customs training.

The government said it will allocate a further £16 million to help businesses train staff to make customs declarations, and to help businesses who support others to trade goods to invest in IT.

BIFA director general, Robert Keen (pictured above) said while trade association welcomes the additional funding, it queries whether it will, as stated, lead to thousands of more customs experts being on hand to help businesses on and after Brexit day, set for 31 October 2019.

Keen added: “During our meetings with both HM Treasury and HMRC, BIFA has highlighted the concerns of our members regarding the capability of the Customs brokerage sector to increase capacity, at a time when that sector already faces a huge shortage of staff of suitable quality.

“We emphasised that it could take up to a year to train staff to be fully conversant to prepare a range of basic Customs declarations, even if there was a sufficient number of trainers to train those staff, as well as relevant courses for them to attend.

“In early August, the BBC reported that of an estimated 240,000 UK businesses that currently trade with the EU, less than 1,000 had applied for the grants made available in the first round of funding.”

Keen said worryingly, an analysis of the latest funding by Yahoo Finance UK suggests the applications process may mean that any finance from the latest range of funding may not be received until after the UK has already left and customs rules change on 31 October.

“Yahoo Finance UK’s analysis suggests that the timescale of the application process seems to indicate that only companies which are able to source a quote for training and submit their applications by next Tuesday can be confident of receiving their actual funding before UK’s scheduled departure date,” Keen said.

“That just adds to the enormous uncertainty and pressure that BIFA members, which are responsible for managing the movement of a large proportion of the UK’s visible international trade, have faced since the result of the Brexit referendum in June 2016.”

Share
.