Freight Industry Crossing Barriers And Expanding
By Asri Razak

Bandar Seri Begawan - A total of approximately 1,337,823 tonnes in exports, imports, transshipment volumes passed through the sultanate's Muara port last year, said Brunei Freight Fowarders Association (Brufa). However according to Brufa's statistics, the figure is lower compared to 2005.

President of Brufa, Hi Abdul Saman Ahmad who spoke to The Brunei Times yesterday said that exports, imports and transshipment is a worldwide industry, with a global container traffic of approximately 415,175, 000 Teus/container estimated for this year.

From January to September 2006, a total of 788,714 tonnes of imports, 20,053 tonnes of exports and 83,115 tonnes of transshipments were handled whilst, Brunei International Airport handled imports, exports and transshipment volumes of 16,400 tonnes.

"Brunei is a young country, and in the international arena the Brunei freight forwarding industry is slightly behind. There is no exposure, and networking, Brufa's existence is to act as a platform to bring in an international network of connections related to the business," said the Brufa president.

He said,`Brufa is here to educate the industry, and that it is nod: just to declare to customs, and. deliver to the customer. It is on a wider scale, and Brufa is a platform between Brunei and outside the country."

He noted further that the association's objectives are to form regulated forwarding agents, sharing views and opinions whilst collectively working with local freight forwarding members, government and private sectors in the bid to further promote the cargo forwarding industry, in response to the recent New Year's titah of His Majesty which called upon the private sector to cross barriers and expand further, exploring new markets through the established bilateral-lateral ties that have already been made.

The association's secretary general Thomas Koh said, "times have changed and Brunei freight fowarders have changed into logistics. They are now able to handle transport, international freight and sea freight that came in."

At the association's launching of Brufa directory last Saturday Hj Abdul Saman said, the association has taken note on the signing of the Asean Framework Agreement `Goods in Transit' signed in 1998 by Asean member countries and looks forward to the signing of Asean Framework Agreement on `Multimodal Transport and Interstate'.

Brufa was registered in 1999 and became the 16th member of the' Federation of Asia Pacific Air-Cargo Associations. Brufa is a member of the Asean Federation of Forwarders Association since 2000. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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