Professional Documents
Culture Documents
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2014/12/27/72914
VOL 22 NO 47 REGD NO DA 1589 | Dhaka, Saturday, December 27 2014
requirements. The main services in this area are warehousing, storage and inventory management
services, transportation services, freight forwarding or customs clearance and shipping services.
There are some other known logistic services which are warehousing, assembly, pick-and-pack,
distribution, order processing, customised label fulfilment, compliance, and reverse
logistics. Almost every critical business activity is a component of logistics. Logistics is a part
of nearly every type of organisation, big or small. Merchandising firms, transportation
companies, consulting firms and others work along with third-party logistics that offer
customised packaging for perishable and non-perishable product.
The logistic service may be from in-house or outsourcing from a third party. The market place
for third-party logistics services is perhaps the largest service industry in the world. Import and
export goods shipped in and out of the country require extensive third-party logistics planning
and management. Because of the complexities of these processes, most businesses choose to hire
a third-party logistics provider.
Third-party logistics is a supply chain process that plans, implements and controls efficient,
effective flow and storage of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to
the point of consumption in order to meet customer satisfaction and requirements. It involves
activities that focus on getting the right quantity and products to the right place at the right time
and most importantly, in the current economy at the lowest possible cost. Increasing competitive
environment has required organisations to strive for efficiency within the supply chain.
Moreover, all the services of an independent service provider can be customised to the needs of
the client.
Generally, freight forwarding and clearing of consignments are known as logistic services. These
days, third-party logistics companies offer a vast range of shipping services. It is of outmost
importance to choose a company that is appropriately fit for specific products, shipping logistic
needs and the expertise to save time and money. In some cases, the logistics provider has the
capacity to ship millions of packages and thousands of pallets per month to different locations.
Choose one that has extensive experience in law and rule, importing and international shipping
and is well-versed in all shipping areas with years of experience.
One of the most important aspects of the shipping process is timing. Consignees along the supply
chain are dependent on regular shipments of products in order to meet their own customers'
needs and expectations. The logistics services' timeline actually begins prior to the shipment date
and time, as pre-planned delivery schedules are provided to receivers and their clients so that
they will be prepared to accept delivery. A third-party shipping logistics partner can offer better
service of shipment on time.
With emerging export of garments and other products, the business of forwarding agent has
extended so much that it is no more a forwarding service but a logistic service provider in the
global context for efficient services. But the guideline for Shipping Agent License 2009 said
shipping agent licenses are not allowed for 100 per cent foreign- owned companies. The present
guideline for freight forwarders allows a foreigner to set up a company in Bangladesh with at
least Tk 10 million in paid-up capital and $500,000 in security deposits. Governments were
inclined to protect local firms to optimise local economic growth, employment, social stability,
country members for opening up fewer sectors and liberalising fewer types of
transactions. Despite these features of GATS, developing countries in reality face many
problems and challenges.
Although in principle developing countries should be able to liberalise their services according to
their own chosen pace and sectors, in practice they generally and individually often face
pressures to open up. Even if a commitment to liberalise is made on the basis of a 'voluntary
offer', once a developing country makes the commitment, it cannot be withdrawn or modified,
without giving adequate compensation. Thus, if a country later finds it has made a mistake in
making some of its commitments, or it later decides it would like to develop the capacity of local
firms in particular sectors in which it has made commitments, it would face serious difficulties in
attempting to modify the relevant commitments. In other words, the commitments in GATS are
constraints to policy options in the future.
The principle of 'progressive liberalisation' also implies that a member is obliged to increase its
liberalisation commitments. Thus, countries are under pressure through new rounds of
negotiations to 'roll forward' their liberalisation commitments which are binding, but they are
unable to 'roll back' these commitments, except through a willingness to offer adequate
compensation.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the
government to introduce licensing system for freight forwarding agents allowing them to carry
out work on documentation of exports. The importers and exporters have to pay phenomenally
high prices for getting the documentation works done by the shipping agents. The freight
forwarding agents allowed to do the job will reduce the cost significantly. The BGMEA said
different chambers and trade bodies, including the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), had long been demanding introduction of licensing system for
the freight forwarders.
There are many buyers in the West having global arrangement with logistics companies for
handling their imports from packing, internal transportation documentation for better quality to
security. These service contracts are also cost effective for overseas buyers and it also benefits
the exporting countries.
Bangladesh is now integrated to the global supply chain, particularly for garments products. The
freight forwarding is not a simple job of delivering export consignment to shipping companies
but a total solution of logistic service of international standard. Local forwarding agents have no
such expertise and logistic back-up to cater to the need of overseas buyers. It should amend the
registration rules and allow overseas logistic service providers to Foreign Direct investments
(FDI) into Bangladesh and also submit an appeal to the High Court for review of the verdict of
banning the logistic service providers to extend their services in Bangladesh.
Under GATS agreement, Bangladesh must open up logistic service sector to overseas countries
in order to enjoy access to other WTO member markets with our export products. Otherwise,
Bangladeshi products will face restriction and become less competitive. The country should not
break the global supply chain allowing uninterrupted flow of products and services. The choice
is ours.
The writer is legal economist
and pursuing PhD in Open University, Malaysia. shah@banglachemical.com