Tema, Oct 25, GNA - The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Attivor, has charged the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), to extend its educational and personal development programmes to haulage drivers to help minimize carnage on the country's roads. The training, she said, should aim at making the drivers realize the disastrous consequences of any act of recklessness and indiscipline on the highways.

Mrs Attivor made the call at the second graduation ceremony, at Tema, at the weekend for 95 graduates, after under-going a year Diploma and Certificate Course in Freight Forwarding. Seventy-five of them were awarded Diplomas, while 18 received certificates in Freight Forwarding. The first batch of the GIFF graduates, totalling 60, passed out in August last year.

The Deputy Minister expressed the hope that with the appropriate institutional and legal framework, complemented by awareness from trade and transport related practitioners and potential users, the freight forwarders would operate to maximum capacity both locally and globally. She, however, warned freight forwarders against the connivance to dump restricted and prohibited items in third world countries, and said the devastating effect of such an irresponsible act could not be over-emphasised.

Mrs Attivor lauded the important role freight forwarding played in trade and economic development, and said apart from its ability to facilitate the movement of goods across the globe it was a major conduit for revenue mobilization.

She reminded freight forwarding professionals that their survival in the new globalised trade network, which was characterized by a high level of competition and demand, called for the acquisition of knowledge and understanding of multi-modal transport systems and operations. Mr Robert Kuttin, President of GIFF, advised the graduates to endeavour to be worthy ambassadors of the Institute by exhibiting a high sense of steadfastness, honesty and truth in their chosen careers. Prizes were awarded to deserving graduates, with Mr Felix Adjei, being the overall best student in Rail Transport, Insurance and Maritime Transport.

For his prize, Mr Adjei received a total amount of GHC1,450 in Insurance, Rail and Maritime Transport. The prizes were instituted by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Safety Brokers Insurance, GIFF and Sky Shipping Limited.