Uganda Freight Forwarders Association (UFFA) in partnership with the National Logistics Platform and the Ministry of Works and Transport is hosting the 2nd edition of the Global Logistics Convention from 17th to 18th September, 2018 at Sheraton Hotel, Kampala under the theme: “Freight Logistics: The Edge to Competitiveness”
The Convention, sponsored by the Department for International Development (DFID) through TradeMark East Africa will bring together over five hundred (500) participants from across the world who will include Logisticians, Finance Institutions, Insurance firms, Manufacturers and Traders, Truck and Equipment dealers, Government officials, Civil Society Organizations, Development Partners, Academicians, and other private sector stakeholders from all over the region.
The event offers a unique opportunity to share best practice in trade and policy, to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, and to redefine, the changing roles, responsibilities and emerging trends in the development of Transport and Trade Logistics as a driver for productivity and competitiveness.
The Convention will include a cocktail of tailor-made activities such as key note presentations, motivational talks, conferences, stimulating discussions, sharing sessions, exhibitions, media engagements and networking events which will be facilitated by experts in the sector, government officials and development partners from within and beyond the region.
“If we are efficient in transport and Uganda being where it is today – Land linked and in the middle of the regional market, and link very well, then we can create and benefit from several opportunities. Competitivenes is about efficiency and productivity. We need to know; what are the opportunities? What are the challenges? This is what we must focus on. I thank the Government of Uganda , TradeMark and all partners for work done so far”. Gideon Badagawa, the Executive Director Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) said at the pre-convention press conference held today – 11th September at Sheration Hotel, Kampala.
At the same event, Hussien K, Kiddedde, the Chairman organizing committee also UFFA chair commented “The conference’s list of speakers was carefully crafted by our team to deliver a wide range of topics in the Logistics industry that stretches across multiple sectors. Their success in creating an agenda with such a rich variety of key discussion points has attracted a number of leading figures and experts travelling from around the world to join us”.
Damali Ssali, the Ag. Uganda Country Director for Trademark East Africa said that the organisation and her partners will continue to provide technical support to the logistics industry in the next three years.
“Over the last two years, we provided technical assistance to support the logistics industry develop the private sector logistics strategy. This was more to see that our logistics industry develops a strategy that complements the government policy for example on local content. It’s to ensure that the industry benefits from our upcoming oil and gas economy,” Damali Ssali noted, adding;
“In the next 3 years, our support to the logistics platform and private sector is also going to be in that same direction. We aim to see that we optimise competitiveness and cost effectiveness. We also want to see that the legal framework for the industry is enhanced. In all, we want to see our industry able to compete favourably and also deal with the challenges together. If this is done, we shall be able to compete in huge markets like that of DRC.”
Weighing in on a theme of a wide significance will be industry leaders from Harvard, Singapore,South Africa and UAE. Notable to mention is Issa S. Baluch; founder of Swift Freight International. He has been a Senior Fellow of the Advanced Leadership Initiative of Harvard University and currently serves on the Dean’s Council at Harvard Kennedy School and acts a visiting Chair Professor of other Universities focusing on multimodal transport.
Delegates can also look forward to an insightful series of sessions spotlighting developments and trends centring on The changing global marketplace (integration, connectivity, consumer expectations, multi-sourcing, environment, safety, security, social responsibility, health etc.) and how this is increasingly underpinning the critical role of logistics as an engine of social economic growth and development among others.
