SLFFA announces much awaited National Logistics Awards 2022

National Logistics Awards Project Chairman Shavindra Dias (left) and Sri Lanka Logistics and Freight Forwarders Association Manager Manjula Maldeniya (right) hand over applications received to Panel of Judges Chairman Prof. Lalith Edirisinghe  

The Sri Lanka Logistics & Freight Forwarders Association has announced that the eagerly anticipated inaugural edition of the National Logistics Awards (NLA) will be held on 23 March at the Main Ballroom of the Shangri-La hotel Colombo.

The event will be attended by the representatives from the entire logistics and freight forwarding industry along with distinguished guests and special invitees.

The NLA was conceptualised in 2021 by the Sri Lanka Logistics and Freight Forwarders’ Association (SLFFA), to coincide with its 40th anniversary, and is designed to recognise the best logisticians and related service providers and appreciate their dedicated service to the economy. During the tumultuous year of 2020, the importance and indispensability of the logistics industry was understood across all economies and was declared an essential service in Sri Lanka.

As members of an industry that has always played a ‘behind-the-scenes’ role in the economy with relatively less fanfare and attention compared to the huge contribution it actually makes, Logisticians rarely get a ‘pat on the back’ which they most greatly deserve. The logistics industry’s significant contribution to the national economy including the facilitation of imports and exports by the line of credit facilitated by the freight forwarders, was highlighted during the pandemic. And while for years the silent endeavours of logisticians went unnoticed, with the introduction of NLA, there will be a common platform for all segments within the industry to shine.

For this edition, the NLA will evaluate and award top performers across six main categories including Freight Forwarders, Ocean Carriers, Airlines, Courier Companies, Clearing Agents (CHB) and Warehousing, along with recognition awards to companies and individuals who played a key role during the challenging times of the pandemic. The application judging process is currently underway and two evaluation sessions have already been completed, with the final evaluation to be carried out over the second week of March. 

The eminent NLA Panel of Judges is headed by Professor Lalith Edirisinghe and consists of 11 other prominent personnel from the public and private sector including representation from the Export Development Board, Board of Investment, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Sri Lanka Customs and Airport & Aviation of Sri Lanka.

The event has garnered a multitude of sponsors and endorsements and consists of an eminent panel of judges composed of prominent industry experts and a press conference announcing the NLA 2022 will be held on 14 March at the Spice Room in the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo. 

This platform will be used to elaborate the application evaluation process carried out by the Panel of Judges, announcing further details of the event taking place on 23 March and to recognise the support of the key sponsors and 28 institutions and associations that have endorsed the NLA by SLFFA including the Ministry of Ports and Shipping, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Sri Lanka Customs, Sri Lanka Shippers’ Council, Ceylon Association of Shipping Agents, SriLankan Airlines and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The NLA is also partnered by the Daily FT who is the Print Media sponsor while TV1, YES FM and Legends Radio are the Electronic Media sponsors.

SLFFA believes that this event will serve to unite all industry stakeholders and eventually uplift the overall standards of the local logistics industry and aims to make the NLA a biennial event.