Capacity building through training is important for sustainable logistics companies. The World Bank identified five key impediments to logistics performance, including the quality and supply of logistics services. Training enhances organizations' abilities to achieve sustainable results by addressing obstacles. CINEC introduced certificate courses in exports/imports and customs procedures aimed at logistics companies. The part-time courses provide a basic knowledge over 10 weeks to facilitate absorbing knowledge. Course content covers trade regulations, documentation, customs procedures, and presentations by senior customs officials. The training may help logistics companies address future challenges and provide qualifications for individuals entering the logistics industry.

1. The Sustainable Logistics Company – The Role of Capacity
Building through Training
By Lalith Edirisinghe
The second edition of Connecting to Compete: Trade Logistics in the Global Economy, has
revealed five key elements relating to impediments to logistics performance. These includes,
Trade-related infrastructure; Quality and supply of logistics services; Core customs
modernization; Integration of Border Management; and Regional facilitation and transit.
Capacity Building (CB) is a conceptual approach to development. It refers to systematically
planned development of knowledge, output rate, management, skills, and competence of staff of
an organization.
In the process of CB it focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments,
international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their
developmental goals
The Logistics Performance Index (LPI) and its indicators are a joint venture of the World Bank,
logistics providers, and academic partners. The LPI is a comprehensive index created to help
countries identify the challenges and opportunities they face in trade logistics performance.
Out of five key impediments that is identified by the World Bank the Quality and supply of
logistics services is claimed as an important aspect of overall country performance. It further
claims that there is a higher correlation between quality of services and overall level of logistics
performance than in the case for infrastructure.

2. When the firm focuses on CB it enhances the abilities that will allow the organization to achieve
measurable and sustainable results in addition to taking care of the obstacles. This is usually
done through acquisition, incentives, technology, and/or training.
CINEC introduced the “Certificate course on Exports and Imports Practices and Procedures” and
“Customs and Border Management Procedures” particularly aiming the Logistics companies that
identifies the need of training for the sustainability in the highly volatile market conditions. The
courses are designed in such a way that provides a basic knowledge of imports and exports
procedures and practices and Customs and other Border Management Procedures in Sri Lanka in
just ten weekends taught lessons and few take home assignments facilitating the students to
absorb their knowledge over a four months time span. The entire course delivery is done as part
time class room sessions (Saturday Afternoon) thus it has no negative impact on their office
work.
The course on Exports and Imports contains, Introduction to International Trade- Logistics and
supply chain; Export and Import procedures and Practices in Sea freight; Export and Import
procedures and Practices in Air freight; International Payment Terms and Banking Procedure;
Freight Forwarding and Multimodal Transportation; Customs Procedures on Import & Export;
Documentations in Imports & Exports; Cargo Insurance; BOI Procedures; Other regulatory
Controls in Sri Lanka for Exports and Imports; and Ports & Container Freight Station Procedures
The course on Customs contains, The concept of Border Management and its impact on international
trade & travel ; Legal Framework and main functions of Customs ; HS Code – (WCO Harmonized
Commodity Description and Coding System); Customs Valuation; World Customs Organization (WCO);
International Trade and the WTO Valuation Agreement; Power vested with Sri Lanka Customs; Special
Gazette Notifications; Customs Procedure and Documentation for Imports and Exports; Customs
Procedure in the context of Sri Lanka today and Future Developments; Identifying Border Management
Agencies other than Customs in Sri Lanka and assess their impact on logistics; Procedures and Practices
of other Border management Agencies in Sri Lanka. The resource Panel consists of very senior
personnel from Sri Lanka Customs including Deputy Directors, Superintendent of Customs and
also the Former Director General of the Sri Lanka Customs (2002-2010) Mr. Sarath Jayathilake
who was a member of the Presidential Commission on Taxation 2009-2010.

3. The second edition of Connecting to Compete (The World Bank) reiterates that Logistics
encompasses an array of essential activities—from transport, warehousing, cargo consolidation,
and border clearance to in- country distribution and payment systems— involving a variety of
public and private agents.
It further high lights that a competitive network of global logistics is the backbone of
international trade. Unfortunately, many developing countries have not yet benefited from the
productivity gains of logistics modernization and internationalization implemented over the last
20 years by advanced economies.
The knowledge and skills development of the junior level staff through enrollment to this course
may set a solid foundation in any logistics company to face the future challenges that is common
to any organization. It also provides a valid entry qualification to enter into the lucrative
Logistics and Transport industry by any individual participants too.
CINEC Maritime Campus (www.cinec.edu) conduct these professional course in their City
Branch at No.15, Kinross Avenue, Colombo 04 and can be contacted through telephone 011 433
5846-8 or through infocms@cinec.edu