CTI set to award best manufacturers

IPP sponsors event

Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) chairman Felix Mosha briefs the press in Dar es Salaam yesterday on the President�s Manufacturer of the Year Awards ceremony to be held in the city today. With him are IPP Executive Chairman Dr Reginald Mengi (L), who is the main sponsor of the event, and CTI Executive Director Christine Kilindu. (Photo: Selemani Mpochi)

The Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) is today expected to award outstanding manufacturers through its President’s Manufacturer of the Year Award (PMYA) which is being fully sponsored by IPP Limited for 50m/-, an amount never reached by multiple sponsors since the competition started in 2005.

President Jakaya Kikwete is expected to grace the event which will have winners from 17 selected economic sub-sectors (large, medium and small businesses).

Addressing journalists yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Chairman of CTI Felix Mosha said the whole exercise has been done by an independent assessor, INNOVEX Development Consulting Ltd for transparency and neutrality. He said main purpose of the award is to pay tribute and recognise the sector’s contribution to the country’s economy.

“We thank the Executive Chairman of IPP Limited, Reginald Mengi and the entire team for enabling CTI to organise this year’s competition”. Mosha noted, adding that there have been major improvements since its establishment in 2005 with the number of sub-sectors increasing from five to 17.

He said under each sub-sector industries are placed in three categories based on turnover, capital investment and number of employees. He said large scale industries are those with annual turnover of 40bn/- and above, investment in machinery above 800m/- and over 100 employees.

Medium scale industries are those with annual turnover of between 400m/- and 39.99bn/-, capital investment in machinery (between 200m/- and 800m/-) while the number of employees should be between 50 and 99.

He said small scale industries should have their annual turnover below 400m/-,capital investment in machinery of between 5m/- and 200m/-and employing between five and 49 persons.

According to Mosha the assessor used various criteria including economic performance (30 percent), technical performance (30 percent), export performance (10 percent), health and safety (10 percent) and corporate and social responsibility (20 percent)

He said criteria for the overall winner are different whereas the following indicators were used, gender balance at management level which requires a manufacturer to have 30 percent of women in management team.

Others are efficient measures to reduce industrial discharges into the environment, labour tranquility and staff training, adherence to the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and International Standards (ISO) and linkages to other sectors of the economy. For his part, IPP Executive Chairman Reginald Mengi said it is important for successful industrialists to support other manufacturers so as to improve their industries.

Mengi who is the former CTI Chiarman said the industrial sector is very crucial for the country’s development, adding that is why CTI has decided to introduce the award.

He thanked CTI for accepting his contribution in this year’s award. He added: “I would like to thank CTI for accepting my support… I hope you will continue to receive my contributions for the coming years”.

CTI Executive Director, Christine Kilindu said the contribution from IPP limited is a record because it comes from a single company. She said previously the event was supported by multiple sponsors who are not members.