A bespoke customs and trade qualification specifically designed for those working with businesses that need to navigate Brexit, has been developed by Chartered Accountants Ireland.
The industry body for accountants in the Republic said regardless of whether a trade agreement is reached, customs administration will be imposed on exporters and importers North and South and beyond these shores.
It said there was a significant deficit in general awareness among its members and the wider business community of the skills and knowledge required to meet the legal and regulatory requirements of international trade, specifically trade between the Republic and the UK post-Brexit.
As a result, it has designed a certificate course - in line with the EU Customs Competency Framework - to teach candidates various aspects of customs law, regulation and general challenges resulting from Brexit.
The programme will be delivered through four modules over eight weeks commencing on October 7th.
Successful participants will reach proficiency level two (trained) in the areas relevant to post-Brexit trading, it said.
The Brexit transition period is due to end on December 31st, ushering in new trading arrangements thereafter. The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, last week warned that the pace and progress of talks on a trade deal were too slow.
"We are critically short of expertise on the island of Ireland to manage this unprecedented change. Long-established trading relationships will need to be renegotiated, the costs of trade will inevitably rise, and supply chains will have to be critically re-appraised, "programme lead Tony Buckley said.
“In practice, there are few businesses whose supply chains will not be affected, directly or indirectly, and all will need advice from professionals familiar with the complex new rules and procedures,” he said.
Cróna Clohisey, public policy head at Chartered Accountants Ireland said: “It comes at a time when businesses right across the island of Ireland need access to expertise and reassurance on customs and trade issues that many have never had to even consider in their business lives to date”.
