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PIFFA- A New Level of Distinction in Logistics Industry of Pakistan

- N e w s l e t t e r

An appropriate forum to discuss some issues that face the present EC in steering it self towards a more organ-ized regime for the freight industry. The present EC ruled ( bar three dis-senting) that the members who were issuing Pakistan based bills of lading, under a prudential requirement need to be insured before using them as negotiable transport documents. This did not sit well with a lot of freight for-warders who declared this to be noth-ing short of high handedness and some even went to the extent of calling this black mailing, yet some felt that while the insurance caveat was criti-cally essential, the manner in which the EC came across in trying to imple-ment this, was not friendly. Many ways to look at this, and perhaps it is necessary to reflect on all the at-tendant values. First no change comes without a price. Yes any change will evoke comments some in favor and some against, so how should one move to appear even handed, and yet progressive. If the in-tent is in fact progressive and the utility a recognized imperative, then the result is more important than the criticism. If the manner in which a rule is dispensed is considered odious then this does not make the measure any less important or critical

and thus needs to be persevered with. Curiously 88 members in a vaguely worded petition registered a protest against the imposition of Insurance and the withholding of membership certificates. Strangely three mem-bers of the EC were co signatories to this petition. They were upset, and wanted to discuss this matter at a level of GBM. Political understandings needed to be created and feelings needed to be respected, so the EC in an effort to explain the requirement in order to mitigate the bad blood fall out wrote to the dissenting members explaining once again the need for moving on and accepting changes in the name of progress. A few withdrew from the petition. What comes out of this are a lot of issues that need to be clarified. Deci-sion making within the ambit of

ciation is the sole prerogative of the EC. Challenging the workings of the EC at GBMs are both unten-able and admissi-ble. The role of the EC has been clearly defined in the MoA and the

scope of the GBMs

Editor ial

HI GHLI GHTS

PIFFA fam ily grows

Award ceremonies

Secrets of product ive work

l ife

TIR system

Freight forwarders suggest

changes in SBP circular

New batch announcements

THE ROUND-UP

Vol ume 1, I ssue 3

June 2013

The edi tor ial 1-2

New Pi f f a members 3-5

Ev ents Chronicle 6

Indust r y Round-up 7

Inside update 8

Secretar y Corner 9

Com ics 1 0

8 Things Product iv e People Do Dur ing the Wor kday

11-12

Economy Round-up 13

Images Round-up 14

A nnouncem ents 16

I NSI DE THI S I SSUE

Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association


Editor ial ...

not perfect, and no one makes allow-ances for the less smarter, we just have to buckle up an DO IT, !!!! So lets just get progressive, join the best and strive to be the best. Next week the FIATA BL finally gets to the members. A long wait but we are on our way, and then the STATE BANK for recognition of INSURED and FIATA bills of ladings, only to ensure that NON MEMBERS do not destroy our industry in the name of cheap profits. The Gala night has been earmarked for the first week of September, and Aquil our erstwhile VP is in furious motion to get this organized. Lets hope our regional partners will join us, and yes there is news that the ECOLAF conference is scheduling its inaugural meet in PAKISTAN some-time in October.

Muhammad Nadeem Khan Chairman PIFFA

are also explained. Policy making at EC cannot be challenged unless it attempts to change the MoA. In this case there is no such intent. What can be done is to air the grievances in public and to allow the EC to respond publicly so that they can realize the real reasons of discom-fort or opposition, or convince the dis-senters of the sincerity of their intent. It is embedding these values that will make us successful and progressive. Another point that is often used in lever-

stance in this distinction. All companies start small and then grow big. Perhaps it is necessary to understand that BIG com-panies are a sign of success, and the small ones, on their way. This is a big and cruel world and the fittest survive. It is for us to make sure that the playing fields are level and everyone gets a chance to make it BIG. Not every one makes it, so this is a fact of life, and not just unique to this industry. This world is


Name Mr. Khalid Ghaffar Designation Director Company Safina Logitics (Pvt) Ltd. Karachi

PIFFA: New Members

Name Mr. Muhammad Yousaf Designation Chief Executive Officer Company Al-Sharqi Real Logistics (Pvt) Ltd. Karachi

Name Mr. Humayun Qamar Alam Designation Proprietor Company Air Cargo Services Karachi

Name Mr. Muhammad Qadeer Designation Partner Company Mac-Nels Agencies Pakistan Karachi

Name Mr. Syed Muhammad Irfan Haider Designation Proprietor Company Knight International Karachi

Name Mr. Muhammad Khalil Designation Proprietor Company Pak Linkers Logistics Karachi

Name Mr. Muhammad Shakil Designation Propreitor Company Seahourse Shipping Karachi


Name Mr. Syed Qaim Ali Shah Designation Propreitor Company Air Sea Logistics Karachi

Name Mr. Akhund Khair Muhammad Siddique Designation Partner Company Star Global Logistics Karachi

Name Mr. Jawed Siddiq Designation Proprietor Company J. M. Corporation Karachi

Name Mr. Asif Mehfooz Designation Partner Company Safe Shipping Karachi

Name Mr. Muhammad Farhan Designation Partner Company IDEA Logistics Karachi

Name Mr. Syed Arshad Raza Designation Director Company Standard Shipping Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd. Karachi

Name Mr. Muhammad Saim Sohail Designation Director Company Sea World Smc-Pvt) Ltd Karachi

Name Mr. Mudassar Ishaq Designation Partner Company ATLAS Logistics Services Karachi


Name Mr. Salman Yousaf Designation Propreitor Company Harbor Logistics Karachi

Name Mr. Arshad Alam Designation Director Company EPIC Logistics Karachi

Name Mr. Athar Ali Designation Proprietor Company Max Freight System Lahore

Name Mr. Muhammad Arshad Designation Partner Company Universal Clearing & Forwarding Agencies LHR

Name Mr. Syed Mustafa Ali Zaidi Designation Proprietor Company Air & Sea International Islamabad

Name Engr. Daroon Khan Achakzai Designation Propreitor Company Daroon Khan & Brother Trading Co. Quetta

Name Mr. Haji Abdul Qadir Designation Propreitor Company International Enterprises Quetta


Date Event

Mar-28-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on Trade Disputes & Reconciliation

Apr-03-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on Imports

Apr-04-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on Training & Education

Apr-09-2013 Meeting with Adamjee Insurance Representatives & PIFFA EC Members re-garding Umbrella Liability Insurance

Apr-09-2013 6th Executive Committee Meeting

Apr-20-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on Membership Matters

Apr-27-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on HR, IT & Accounts

Apr-30-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on Imports

May-04-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on Trade Disputes & Reconciliation

May-15-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on Legal & Tax Affairs

May-17-2013 7th Executive Committee Meeting

May-29-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on Membership Matters

May-29-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on Imports

May-30-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on Afghan Transit Trade

June-1-2013 Meeting of Standing Committee on Training & Education


Mr Jamil Ahmad of Vision Logistics (pvt) Ltd has joined ROUNDUP as the correspondent for the northern region. Jamil is a senior member of PIFFA with several years of experience both in the industry and in the profession, he has served as Vice Chairman of PIFFA and has had several stints as an EC member. To his credit he has organized many a seminars and is a regular visitor to FIATA conferences. He brings rich talent and much capability to this assign-ment.

Mr. Tariq Mahmood Chaudhy returns to Pakistan, after spending many months in Australia. He has returned to Pakistan for a break and to assist PIFFA as a EC member. Chaudhry Sb is a past chairman and Vice Chairman of PIFFA , served a Convener of the FPCCI committee on freight forwarding, and runs a very successful company by the name of Dynamic. Presently he is involved in the development of various new initiatives for the industry.

Mr Moin Malik, CEO Agility Logistics has been nominated as the 100 best busi-ness leaders of the year 2103 by the very prestigious magazine CEO. A highly successful business man in his own rights Mr. Malik is a past Chairman of PIFFA and has led a PIFFA delegation to many countries and is seriously involved in the development of the freight industry. He is best known for his pioneering role in the establishment of Agility Logistics in Pakistan, where it now stands as one of the best service providers of logistic solu-tions.

Mr Tahir Malik, has rightfully made it to the 100 best business leaders of the year by the CEO magazine. As past chairman of ACCAP Tahir Sb has many years of experience in the industry and has served it at many levels. This honor has brought prestige to the industry and recognizes the contribution made by our brothers in developing our industry and their own businesses. Mr. Tahir head the highly successful TRAFFCO group, working a multi levels of the logistic industry. Today's we heard a good news that he has been appointed as CHAIRMAN of Regional Standing Committee on "Export Trade" of FPCCI Pakistan for the Year 2013. A just reward for all the hard work he has put in to develop the industry

Mr. Babar Badat has been nominated by PIFFA as their nominee for the prestigious slot of SVP of FIATA. Mr. Badat an industry stalwart, involved in founding PIFFA and a past chairman is presently serving a VP FIATA, Chair-man TIR commission and several other prestigious positions both inside and outside the country. He also runs several successful companies in Pakistan and also serves as CEO of ECU line a multi national operating out of Karachi with offices around the world. PIFFA wishes him well, and indeed welcomes such initiatives.


New s &Updates

and industry at large.

PIFFA took a strong stand and conveyed its reservations on

Regulatory Authority Bill-vide a letter to the Ministry of Commerce. The letter from Chairman to MoC also circu-lated to all Members

Directorate General of Transit Trade has become operational. It is formed to effectively moni-tor the supplies to Afghanistan under APTTA and shipments to allied forces in Afghanistan. The Directorate General of Transit Trade is based at Custom House-Karachi and has regional offices at Peshawar and Quetta.

Convener of PIFFA Standing Committee on ATT, Capt. Ghu-lam Mustafa felicitating Mr. Khawar Fareed Maneka on his appointment as Director Gen-eral , invited his attention to-wards issues that has cropped up in the aftermath of APTTA and as a result diversion of commercial cargo business to other regional hubs.

PIFFA Standing Committee on Training & Education an-nounced four short courses to be held between 14th June to

Flyer. Similar short courses for Members of upcountry will be conducted after Ramadan. (see details in Announcements)

President of FPCCI Mr. Zubair Ahmed Malik nominated Mr. Muhammad Nadeem Khan as Chairman of FPCCI Standing Committee on Freight Forward-ing & Logistic Services for the year 2013 to work towards the aspirations and goals of trade

Batch 2: In Lahore the PIFFA-FIATA Diploma Ceremony was graced by Chairman, Execu-tive Committee Members and distinguished guests from the Freight Forwarding Industry. The following course partici-

pants secured the first three positions:

Mr. Zafar Ali of Aries Logis-tics (Pvt) Ltd Mr. Usman Iqbal of UF Logistics Mr. Shahid Usman of RIL Logistics (Pvt) Ltd

The 18 successful partici-

pants received Diploma Cer-tificates whereas one course participants received module

certificate. The Diploma Certificates were conferred by Chairman and honorable guests. The ceremony was followed by hi-tea. Batch 11 The first 3 positions hold-

ers for batch-11 of PIFFA-FIATA Diploma Course in Karachi were:

Mr. Mehndi Sehwani of Agility Logistics (Pvt) Ltd Mr. Muhammad Farooq Amanullah of Eastern Shipping Lines and Ms. Sonia Behram of Damco Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd

The Diploma Certificates

were received by 16 course participants whereas 05 re-ceived module certificates. Chairman, Vice Chairman and several Executive Committee Members graced the occa-sion which was followed by lunch In his addresses at both

occasions the Chairman em-phasizes the need of keeping abreast of modern concepts of doing business. He urged the Member Companies to avail the vocational training opportunities offered at PIFFA Training Institutes which is relevant and helpful in re-sponding to day today busi-ness transactions. (event coverage in the Im-

age Gallery )

Dip lom a Aw ard Ceremonies held at Karachi on Apr i l 9, 2013( f or Batch-11 ) and at Lahore on Apr i l 27, 2013 (f or bat ch-2).


On an invitation from Turk-ish Ministry of Customs & Trade, Ministry of Transportation, Marine Affairs & Communi-cation. The Union of Chambers & Commod-ity Exchanges of Turkey-TOBB, a delegation comprising of 12 members from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Communication, Customs Officials from various locations in Pakistan, representatives of FPCCI, includ-

ing me (PIFFA) attended a four day -

TIR Transports Internationaux Routiers or International Road Transport) is an interna-tional transit system. Based on UN conven-tion, this system is implemented on a global scale in both public and private partnership. The TIR System has been facilitating and

securing trade and international road trans-port for over 60 years, by allowing customs-sealed vehicles and freight containers to transit countries without border checks.

the TIR Convention was submitted with UN in 2004. It contained a reservation, hence the application was rejected. During the training session the IRU and

Turkish hosts apprised and clarified that Turkey and some other signatory countries of TIR Convention also had similar issues with neighboring countries. Yet using the provisions of Article 45 of the TIR Conven-tion it did not designate Custom Offices on respective territories; at border-crossing points to neighbors, with whom they had disputes. Therefore, the possible apprehen-sions of Government of Pakistan were suita-bly explained. It was emphasized that imple-mentation of the TIR Convention will allow Pakistan to connect by road and rail with the region from China, Afghanistan, CIS Coun-tries, Iran, Turkey and further to Europe, thus opening up new opportunities of trade for our economy and help propel and pro-mote regional trade. During the training sessions besides the

Turkish hosts, a senior IRU Official elabo-rated the salient features of TIR Carnet, its guaranteed mechanism, IT facilitation, Secu-rity Applications and advantages to trade and customs. The presentations revolved around the Principles of TIR, its concepts, benefits and how to address irregularities in TIR Carnets. The System works on mutual trust with spontaneous Customs Controls at entry and exit points. The role of the Ministry

of Transport is the registration and authorizations of vehicles/fleet, periodical checks and check on financial position of operators. Turkey accessed the TIR Convention in 1975

and since 1984 it has been actively participat-ing Being one of the most vibrant Member of TIR Convention it has a TIR complaint fleet of 600,000 trucks. In 2012 it used 685,000 TIR Carnets which is about 22% of total Carnets used by the TIR Members. TIR System:

Streamline border crossing procedures Customs formalities conducted at origin and destination rather than at each frontier Guaranteed payment of Customs duties and taxes Expedite international trade and reduce costs Cost free web-based pre-declaration and risk management tools

IRU implements the TIR System under UN man-date. The IRU Member Associations issues and guarantees the TIR Carnets to transport opera-tors. The Core Pillars of TIR System are:

Secure vehicles or containers International guarantee chain TIR Carnets Reciprocal recognition of Customs controls Controlled access by Customs and IRU Safe TIR electronic termination

Currently the TIR Convention has 68 contract-ing parties. Countries like Argentina, Brazil, China, India and Pakistan have shown interest in joining the TIR system. At the last leg of the training the delegation

visited Ankara Logistics Base, a huge facility managed by BoD representing 60 interna-tional freight companies of Turkey. The facility comprises of truck park, gas station, repair/maintenance workshop, Bank, Postal Ser-vices, offices of Association Members, Hotel-Motel, shopping centre and recreation area for drivers all covered by CCTV camera and en-trances and exits with active security services. It has separate areas for Customs Administra-tion Units, modern depot and store houses. The training opportunities extended by our

Turkish hosts and IRU played a vital role in removing most of the apprehensions of Minis-tries and authorities and we might see a re-vised move of accession of TIR Convention by Pakistan in near future.

By : Habibullah A. Latif General Secretary PIFFA


Always Borrow money from Pessimists .

They Never Ex-pect it back


Forget about your job title or profession everyone is looking for ways to be more

your gallon-sized container of coffee, toss out your three-page to-do list, and put an end to those ridiculously long emails

Experiencing a highly productive workday can feel euphoric. But contrary to popular belief, simply checking tasks off your to-do

on doing more things; this is actually the opposite of productivity. If you really want

point to do fewer things. Recently I spoke with project manage-ment and productivity genius Tony Wong to find out the secret to a more pro-ductive workday. He provided me with some excellent insight into what he and other like-minded productive individuals do during their work week. Harness your productivity by taking note of these eight things: 1. Create a smaller to-do list. Getting things accomplished during your workday

sible in the sanctioned eight hours. It may

productive about piling together a slew of tasks in the form of a checklist. Take a less-is-more approach to your to-do list by only focusing on accomplishing things that matter. 2. Take breaks. You know that ache that

fills your brain when

p o w e r i n g t h r o u g h tasks for s e v e r a l hours? This is due to your brain using up glucose. Too many peo-ple mistake this for a good feel-ing, rather

than a signal to take a break. Go take a walk, grab something to eat, workout, or meditate give your brain some resting time. Achieve more productivity during your workday by making a point to regu-

recharged and ready to achieve greater efficiency. 3. Follow the 80/ 20 rule. Did you know that only 20 percent of what you do each day produces 80 percent of your results?

ing your workday: they have a minimal effect on your overall productivity. For ex-ample, on a project, systematically re-move tasks until you end up with the 20 percent that gets the 80 percent of re-sults. 4. Start your day by focusing on yourself. If you begin your morning by checking your email, it allows others to dictate what you accomplish. Set yourself in the right direc-tion by ignoring your emails and taking the morning to focus on yourself, eat a good breakfast, meditate, or read the news. 5. Take on harder tasks earlier in the day. Knock out your most challenging work when your brain is most fresh. Save your busy work if you have any for when your afternoon slump rolls in. 6. Pick up the phone. The digital world has created poor communication habits. Email is a productivity killer and usually a dis-traction from tasks that actually matter. For example, people often copy multiple people on emails to get it off their plate don't be a victim of this action. This dis-tracts everyone else by creating noise

plish and is a sign of laziness. If you re-ceive an email where many people are CC'd, do everyone a favor by BCCing them on your reply. If your email chain goes

phone. Increase your productivity by scheduling a call. 7. Create a system. If you know certain things are ruining your daily productivity, create a system for managing them. Do you check your emails throughout the day? Plan a morning, afternoon, and eve-ning time slot for managing your email.

8 Things Product iv e People Do Dur ing the Work day by Il y a Pozin


complishing more important goals throughout the day.

ness. While no one likes admitting it, sheer laziness is the No. 1 contributor to lost pro-ductivity. In fact, a number of time-saving methods take meetings and emails for ex-ample are actually just ways to get out of doing real work. Place your focus on doing the things that matter most as efficiently and ef-fectively as possible. Remember, less is more when it comes to being productive during the workday.

Source: writers linked Blog

8 Things Product iv e People Do Dur ing the Work day

Founder of Ciplex. Columnist for Inc, Forbes & LinkedIn. Gadget lover, investor, mentor, hus-band, father, and '30 Under 30' entrepreneur.


KARACHI, April 9 Freight forwarders and shipping lines claim that they are operating according to the law of the land and inter-national best practices but still if there are some issues they are ready to sort them out through negotiations. 100 per cent air cargo (imports and exports) and around 70 per cent of ocean cargo is being man-aged by freight forwarders and they are serv-ing about 99 per cent of exporters of the country. This was stated by Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association (PIFFA) ex-chairman Tariq Chaudhry and former chair-man Pakistan Ships Agents Association (PSAA) Mohammed Rajpar at a joint press conference on Friday. However, some incidents of malpractices and fraud may have occurred due to some fault on part of individuals but in no way any com-mercial transaction could take place at ` gun point,` they added. Explaining some of the issues being raised by exporters they said that as per the estab-lished international best practices, the title of ownership of goods is never changed on the carrier` s Master Bill of Lading (MBL) against forwarders` House Bill of Lading (HBL).

They further said that most of imports into Paki-stan, which are almost double in quantum than exports, are being exe-cuted under similar proce-dures and documenta-tions through HBL and are preferred by importers to get better freight terms. But unfortunately, a cou-ple of textile downstream trade bodies recently tried to malign shipping lines

and freight forwarders by mis-guiding the FIA and provoking them to initiate criminal pro-ceedings on incorrect interpre-tation of SBP foreign exchange circular No 6 of 2006.They fur-ther said that it is a common practice the world over for the freight forwarders to issue HBL in order to meet the required documentations formalities. It is important to note that such documentation of international buyers is in practice globally

and is part of the UCP 600 and the UN Charters to which Pakistan is also a signa-tory. The view was supported by former PIFFA chairman Babar Badat and vice- chairman PSAA Capt Nusrat Iqbal, who said that de-spite negative propaganda by these export-ers against HBL, they are accepting it as a recognised transport document and enjoy-ing freight forwarders` facilities to increase their business. Referring to the model of Bangladesh cited by few exporters` bodies they said that the selective interpretation of this model is not completely true. Most of the global buyers are sourcing their merchandise from Bang-ladesh using the HBL, which is commonly used and negotiated by the relevant banks in the BD. Mr Rajpar said that in European Union and others countries, including India the HBL is commonly used by freight forwarders and shipping companies as per the current practice in Pakistan. However, Babar Badat said that PIFFA had already submitted suit-able recommendations to the SBP to re-view the Foreign Exchange circular, while attempting to remove all requirements that do not comply with the carriers` needs and also remove liability regimes that may be contrary to the international law and inter-national best practices.

Courtesy : Dawn April 10, 2013

Freight f orw arders suggest changes in SBP ci rcu lar


Award Ceremonies held at Karachi April 9, 2013( for Batch-11 )


Award Ceremonies held at Lahore April 27, 2013 (for batch-2)


Page 16


Regional Office

228, Ahmed Block, New Garden Town, Lahore, Pakistan

Tel: + 92 42 35834456-7

Fax: + 92 42 35834458 Email: [email protected]

URL: www.piffapk.com

GMT: + 5

Country IATA Code: PK

Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association

174-O, Block - 2, P.E.C.H.S Karachi 75400 - Pakistan

Tel: + 92 21 343 22671-3

Fax: + 92 21 343 22670

Email: [email protected]

URL: www.piffapk.com

GMT: + 5

Country IATA Code: PK

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