The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) has launched the 15th edition of the Ghana Club 100 (GC) Awards on the theme: “Manufacturing-Steering Ghana’s Development”, in Accra.

The awards, which was launched by the GIPC in 1998 to serve as a benchmark for corporate excellence, has become an annual event, and compiles the top 100 highly performing companies from both public and private sectors, for due recognition of successful enterprises.

Mrs Mawuena Trebah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, in an address at a media launch, on Tuesday, said the highly anticipated event would be held at the Kempiski Hotel in Accra on August 19, 2016 at 19.00 hours.

According to her, the event aimed mainly at introducing a system of ranking the top 100 companies in Ghana, while encouraging and nurturing the private sector to develop and grow to compete internationally.

She said companies, which would make it to the GC100 were expected to serve as role models for the private sector and provide a forum for corporate Ghana to interact with the Government at the highest level.

“The centre believes that as Ghana continues to see itself as Africa’s Golden Gateway to a safe and secure investment destination for investors across the globe, it is incumbent on us to encourage the private sector operators to ensure that their operations do not appear to be at variance to internationally acceptable practices,” she said.

Mrs Trebah, urged businesses, which were interested to join the Club to make their audited finances available to the Committee in charge of the awards for vetting as this was one of the main criteria for which companies would be assessed for classification into the Club.

She said other eligibility criteria for the ranking of the GC 100 included; all entrants must be limited liability companies, and they should submit the necessary documentation made up of a 125-word soft copy of the company profile and logo, as well as both hard and soft copies of the Chief Executive Officer’s passport size photograph, to the GIPC offices, by June 17, 2016.

She, however, said that based on feedback from both the Club and Non-Club members on the need to improve on the quality of the ranking, it had introduced a fourth criterion known as Asset Utilisation in addition to the existing criteria of size weight and profitability of companies.

“Hitherto, one of the entry criteria has been that, companies should have made a cumulative three-year net profit. This is being scraped as it will mean penalizing the same company twice,” she said.

Mrs Trebah also mentioned the introduction of a new special awards category for the leading companies in each of the strategic sectors made up of the Agricultural and Agribusiness; Financial Services, Information and Communication Technology, Services, Infrastructure, Petroleum and Mining services, Manufacturing, Tourism, health and Education.

There would also be special awards for outstanding business performers in selected categories, including Corporate Social Responsibilities and the highest tax paying company.

Ms Rushnan Murtaza, a UNICEF Deputy Representative, said the organisation would also sponsor a special award targeted at a private sector entity that had taken decisive steps towards child-related issues and setting a clear direction for positive action to respect and support children’s rights.