ASEAN Federation of Forwarders Association (AFFA) had successfully held their AFFA Conference and 32nd AFFA AGM in December 9 – 11, 2022 in Vientiane, Lao PDR. The important event was attended by all 10 AFFA members, BRUFA, CLA, ILFA, FMFF, LITFA, MIFFA, PMTLAI, SLA, TIFFA, and VLA. LITFA of Lao PDR had been welcoming all delegates well and made the event success. Taking the theme “Boosting Economics and Logistics Industry within ASEAN and ASIA Region in post Pandemic Era Through Transformation”, AFFA commits to play the significant role in logistics industry in ASEAN region and beyond.
The event, which is most important in logistics and transport industry within ASEAN countries, were officially supported by ASEAN Secretariat and the Ministry of Public Work and Transport of Lao PDR. More than 150 delegates attended the event and all Ambassador from all ASEAN countries attended to support the important event.
Mr. Satvinder Singh, the deputy Secretary General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community, during his recorded speech, had given the high appreciation to the excellent contribution from AFFA in supporting ASEAN economic development. Logistics and Forwarder industry plays the big role in ensuring the excellent goods movement within the region and beyond and smoothing the border crossing process under the ASEAN initiatives.
Mr. Viengsavath Siphandone, The Minister of Public Works and Transportation of Lao PDR, had mentioned to provide sufficient support for ASEAN in transport field and committing Lao PDR from land locked country to become “Land Link” and ensure the ASEAN connectivity work to connect with other regions especially China.
The Chairman of AFFA, Mr, Yukki Nugrahawan Hanafi from Indonesia, during his speech feels very happy to be part of the development of the ASEAN Region in serving the logistics sector to ensure the fast move of goods within the regions. AFFA Conference and 32nd AFFA AGM is held refer to the constitution of AFFA once a year. Therefore, the meeting as much important for all AFFA members. By the conference and annual meeting, all AFFA members can continue the plan to cooperate more and accelerate business development by taking more real actions especially in creating suitable framework of cooperation between the Freight Forwarding and Logistics industry.
There is certain reason to choose Vientiane, Lao PDR as the host. Lao PDR has started to be the pioneer in connecting with the broader region, especially China through the Thanalaeng Dry Port. This is a good reason to fasten the good movement in the routes.
Freight Forwarding and logistics business are recently facing uneasy situation with the turbulence of business pattern in the entire world caused by Covid-19 pandemic. By improving and developing our cooperation, improving the capacity through transformation, AFFA members can together have the high ability to overcome the business uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, which frankly speaking that won’t be easy for all business.
Pandemic Covid-19 has not end, AFFA does need to work together to overcome the impacts. The low international demands in goods, Container issues, and the rate turbulence from very high freight rates during pandemic to the very low prices now, these big things have to be solved together by AFFA as the only registered entity in ASEAN Secretariat in logistics and transport field.
As the operators in logistics and transportation field, AFFA members and their global partner especially within ASIAN and Pacific countries should grow together. There is also one important thing to ensure this cooperation and collaboration will run smoothly. AFFA need to develop the good cooperation on capacity building and IT connectivity. AFFA should all understand that human resources and appliance of IT connectivity become the most important dimension for the success of their services. Those are the transformation AFFA should do together.
AFFA needs to go forward to actualize the larger cooperation between ASEAN Secretariat and AFFA including all the country embers in trade facilitation and supporting the RCEP in wider region. AFFA realize that logistics and forwarding industry has the great opportunities and chance to develop in upcoming years, beside AFFA also realize that the challenge would not be easy to face.
The transformation of the business, the mutual collaboration between members and global partners especially within ASIAN and Pacific countries, the excellent capacity building and understanding the era of digitalization will much help the appliance of all initiatives in the logistics and transport sector that has been honored by ASEAN Secretariat. Together with ASEAN Secretariat, AFFA will be more active in the future concerning the ASEAN Trade Facilitation. The initiatives of AFAMT, AFAFGIT, ACTS are most important to ensure the fast and save moving of goods between countries within ASEAN. Including ASEAN Authorized Economics Operators Mutual Recognition Agreement (AAMRA), where AFFA members need to improve their capacities.
Yukki Nugrahawan Hanafi had been chairing AFFA for 6 years. He said the important need to continuing the cooperation and collaboration in more real actions. He does hope that AFFA in the future, can together build a strong business partnership, do updated transformation and also having a fruitful business collaboration in the future.
During the 32nd AFFA Conference and AGM, AFFA members had agreed to have Malaysian Mr. Alvin Chua Seng Wah to be the new Chairman of AFFA for the next period. Alvin Chua mentioned to commit in continuing all the excellent program AFFA has been doing in the previous period. AFFA will continue to play bigger role in logistics industry for the better world.