Best manufacturers to be revealed in Dar next week

DAILY NEWS Reporter

Confederation of Tanzania Industries Executive Director, Leodgar TengaSEVENTEEN best manufacturers, out of 430, will be known next Tuesday at an occasion to be graced by President John Magufuli. The manufacturers are contesting in a ‘President’s Manufacturer of the Year Awards (PMAYA) 2015’ aimed at recognizing and appreciate the industrial sector’s important role in economic development.

Confederation of Tanzania Industries Executive Director, Leodgar Tenga said out of the best 17 under different categories three are overall winners and would be awarded trophies. “The awards have made a number of improvements in our sector if we measure it statistically,” Mr Tenga said.

He said the number is showing the sector is growing at seven per cent annually and its contribution to GDP is also seven per cent… this is a good number regionally and internationally,” Mr Tenga said.

He also said each year manufacturers are improving their businesses in term of revenues and outputs, taxpaying, technology innovation and on environmental issues. On employment, the sector employed 11 per cent of total workforce in formal sector and exports some 23.3 per cent of total exports in 2014.

Mr Tenga, a former international footballer and president of the country’s football association, said the competition has been improved as a number of awards has increased from five to 17, also there is three categories now which are large, medium and small businesses with equal winning chances.

“CTI has been staging this most prestigious members’ event for past eleven consecutive years… to encourage and motivate investors in the industrial sector, and raising the standard of business practices…,” he said.

The event main sponsor, Bank M’s CEO (Designate), Ms Jacqueline Woiso said that the PMAYA competition is one avenue that challenges corporate companies to improve on quality of products and services to the public.

“Bank M is proud to support the local manufacturing industry not only financially and in banking services but also through this prestigious competition.” said Ms Woiso. She said at the moment the bank’s lending to manufacturer sector stands at 21 per cent of 740bn/- that is dished out. “It is our first time to sponsor this event but we are obliged to as manufacturers are our customers as well… we will continue to assist the event and the sector growth,” Ms Woiso said.

CTI’s Director of Research and Advocacy Hussein Kamote said the tale of data showed that the manufacturers’ sector surges forward and the future looks bright. “The prospects are good for the industry growth and stability in the years ahead,” Mr Kamote said.

The awards are categorized into three groups. The first is manufacturing, assembling and processing industries where there is three sub categories -- large scale with 100bn/- annual turnover and above, above 500m/- and below 1.99bn/- and above 10m/- and 499m/-.

The second is service and related industries, those large scale with a turnover of 40bn/- and above, medium with between 400m/- and 39.99bn/- and small scale below 400m/-. The last category is sub sector -- industrial activities such as pharmaceutical, finance, insurance, mineral products, printing and packaging, textile and apparels, timber and wood products and transport, storage and communications.

For first and second categories each sub title for large, medium and small, the number of employees also matter per sector, the top is over 100, second between 50 and 99 and small less than 50. The competition was opened for all CTI members so long as they paid their annual membership fees for 2015.

Also the overall winner has addition criteria to determining their superiority including a 30 per cent of management team should be women, effluent measures to reduce industrial discharges in the environment, harmonious labour relations, adherence to standards and linkage to other sector of the economy.