ARTICLE 96 Freight Booking Centres The Partner States shall encourage the establishment of freight booking centres. ARTICLE 97 Freight Forwarders, Customs Clearing Agents and Shipping Agents 1. The Partner States shall harmonise the requirements for registration and licensing of freight forwarders, customs clearing agents and shipping agents. 2. The Partner States shall allow any person to register, and be licensed, as a freight forwarder, customs clearing agent and shipping agent, provided that, that person fulfills the legal and customs requirements of that Partner State. 3. The Partner States shall not restrict the commercial activities, rights and obligations of a lawfully registered and licensed freight forwarder or clearing agent. ARTICLE 98 Postal Services The Partner States shall harmonise their policies on postal services and promote close co-operation between their postal administrations and devise ways and means to achieve fast, reliable, secure, economic and efficient services among themselves through: (a) strengthening of postal sorting, routing, transit and distribution centres within the Community; (b) pooling financial, technical and human resources to modernise, mechanise and automate mail and postal financial services so as to provide timely and efficient services to postal users or customers and, further introduce value-added postal services thus turning postal outlets one-shop for communication services; (c) adopting competitive marketing strategies to increase market shares in the international courier services and further introduce 72