One of the major outcomes of the Government’s new action plan is its new International Trade Facilitation Committee (ITFC). Its mission is “to promote trade facilitation by engendering better regulation and better communication in this field through stronger cross-Government co-ordination.” The Committee will be chaired by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Other key Departments sitting on the ITFC include HMRC, Defra, UKBA, HM Treasury, Department for Transport, UKTI, the Better Regulation Executive and the Cabinet Office.
SITPRO is to provide the Secretariat for this committee. However, its role is far more than administrative. SITPRO will be driving the agenda due to its trade and international networks and its expertise in trade facilitation issues. Although the ITFC is a body made up of Government representatives much of its work will be led by business concerns. With its new and more influential position, with regard to representing the views of traders to Government, SITPRO will help business to have its say in the development of a strategy for addressing issues, including those that emanate from the European Union.
SITPRO will need the support of UK businesses to make the most of this new opportunity. For many years it has been supported by the experts who take part in its various Advisory Groups. These help form the trade opinions that influence Government policy. In this new environment those Advisory Groups are going to become even more influential. Over the coming weeks, SITPRO will be reviewing the role that they play, strengthening their importance as the fora where issues of concern to trade are identified. SITPRO will also be recruiting new members, particularly from the businesses that took part in the wider business consultation this year. Joining these groups will enable businesses to get involved in discussions on the issues that matter to them and make the groups stronger, enabling SITPRO to drive the ITFC towards the actions that traders need them to take.
SITPRO will also be strengthening the role and composition of its Advisory Council. This senior group will act as a sounding board on issues to be taken to the ITFC, ensuring that the most important issues raised by traders receive appropriate consideration and that information is also fed back to businesses.
The ITFC is an important central hub for the new programme of work that will be taking place over the coming years. However, it is not the only place where improvements will be being made. Over the next couple of pages there are details of some of the more specific areas where SITPRO will be working directly to improve the trading environment.
Keeping Goods Moving: Other articles in this issue
- A New Approach To Trade Facilitation
- Joining Things Up
- Who Wants To Be In International Trade
- CEO Perspective
- Editor's Notes
Return to SITPRO News: Issue 70, Autumn 2009
