CILT awards launched

Story: Ama Amankwah Baafi

THE Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has launched the Tema 2011 Excellence Awards on the theme, “Driving Efficiency and Innovation to Improve Capacity at the Ports of Ghana”.

The maiden CILT awards being organised in collaboration with Corporative Initiative Ghana (CIG), organisers of the prestigious Ghana Banking Awards, is scheduled to take place in Accra later in the year.

Proposed corporate categories of the awards include freight forwarding, stevedoring and haulage companies, freight consolidators, transit trade, inland container depots, shipping lines agencies and transshipment trade.

There would be special awards for excellent performance outside the above ranges, but related to transport and logistics : overall best transport and logistics organisation of the year.

CILT is the international professional body for logistics and transport professionals and was established in Ghana in 1982. Currently, it has four regional branches in Accra, Takoradi, Tema and, recently, Kumasi.

The Tema branch of the CILT instituted the excellence awards to promote excellence, quality service and efficiency in the industry and it will cover the activities of all industry players in 2011.

The Chairman of the CILT, Tema, Mr Kumi Adjei Sam, outlined the specific objectives of the CILT awards are: “to promote and repackage the industry for better public perception; showcase best performing industry players for improved confidence and business patronage; to formally recognise the contribution of practitioners in the transport and logistics sector to the economic prosperity of Ghana and to sustain the interest of professionals”.

The individual categories are Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS officer), Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority(GPHA)/Port Manager, logistics and transport woman and shipper of the year, and best haulage driver.

Mr Sam said as a novel concept and to ensure fair play and the participation of key industry players, an awards technical committee has been constituted to come out with the modalities and relevant rules and regulations to govern the successful organisation and participation in the event.

“As a novel idea we expect a number of teething problems with funding, deriving data and reliable data. We are, therefore, fine tuning the ideas for continuous improvements. It is also expected that the scope will be expanded based on where verifiable data and feedback will be generated,” he said.

The Executive Secretary of CIG, Mr Afotey Odarteifio, assured CIG would bring its expertise to promote efficiency through competition in the transport and logistics sector, after 11 years as a distinguished performance enhancement organisation, venturing into insurance and rural banking to promote efficiency.