ICTSI’s Brunei affiliate feted as best employer at Singapore event

The New Muara Container Terminal Services Sdn. Bhd. (NMCTS), a unit of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) and port services provider at the Port of Muara in Brunei, was recently honored at the 7th CMO Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards 2016 in Singapore.

CMO Asia, a not-for-profit organization for marketing professionals in the region, recognized NMCTS as among this year’s most sought-after employer for exhibiting a culture of contribution and innovation, and improving human resource policies.

“We are very proud to be the only Bruneian company to be recognized in this event, which reflects the kind of work culture and environment that we have at NMCTS.

This motivates us to further improve our existing policies and best practices for the sake of employees and the business in general,” Reimond Silvestre, NMCTS director and general manager, said. “As Brunei’s leading trading gateway, the Muara Container Terminal (MCT) deserves only the best in people technology to operate the MCT.

On one hand, as an ICTSI subsidiary, we have cascaded ICTSI’s global brand of corporate culture into NMCTS operations.

We intend to replicate ICTSI Group’s human development programs for the long term,” he added. Endorsed by the Asian Confederation of Businesses, the Employer Branding Institute (EBI), together with the World HRD Congress, conferred various awards to 200 Asian companies, including NMCTS.

The selection of NMCTS went through a carefully researched process. EBI assessed over 200 companies based on workplace contribution and innovation, consistent improvement in HR policy specifically on organizational health and company values, being a social employer, and developing future leaders.

“It is a huge honor for the organization to be given this award. It goes to show that we are doing something right in terms of business and people management.

To be named the best em-ployer brand in Asia really sets the bar high for every-one at NMCTS,” Suriayani Abas, NMCTS human resources and administra-tion assistant manager, said.

“As a Bruneian, I am proud to be a part of a lo-cal company, NMCTS, that belongs to a pio-neering global compa-ny in ICTSI,” she added.

NMCTS employees enjoy competitive sala-ries and remuneration, among the best compen-sation packages in the Group and in the region.

“We are fully aware that ICTSI’s service agree-ment in Brunei is renew-able on a yearly basis only. Despite financial chal-lenges and uncertainties, we are very thankful that NMCTS never fell short of its HR obligation,” Ahmad Ilmi Adanani, NMCTS operations head, said.

NMCTS’ recent achievement is the second global HR award received by the ICTSI Group this year. Last June, Philippine subsidiary South Cotaba-to Integrated Port Services, Inc. (SCIPSI), won the In-ternational Gold Employer of the Year Award at the annual Investors in People Awards 2016 in London.

SCIPSI bested more than 300 other candidates from various companies across the globe. Inves-tors in People, which is owned by the government of the United Kingdom and managed nationally by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, cited SCIPSI for its peo-ple management practices.

As part of ICTSI’s Group’s portfolio of 30 terminals in 20 countries, NMCTS shares the same global standards and best practices that have made ICTSI one of the leading port operators in the world.

According to Mr. Sil-vestre, key to ICTSI’s suc-cess is people management.

“One of our core strengths is a highly capa-ble manpower. It’s really the key to the way we operate all of our terminal conces-sions worldwide.

We start by bring-ing people in from our headquarters in Manila to jumpstart operations and train the locals who will eventually take over once everything is in place. But at the end, our goal is for each of our terminals to be run by 100 percent local man-power,” Silvestre said.