Banks to link loans to waste control<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Lending banks will soon begin assessing the
\nquality and environmental management systems of their prospective
\ndebtors, an executive of PT Surveyor Indonesia says.<\/p>\n
Speaking after a signing ceremony yesterday, the company's
\nfinance director, Toga Sitompul, said that sound quality and
\nenvironment management systems will become essential in the
\nupcoming free trade era.<\/p>\n
\"Although standard management systems are not stipulated as a
\nfixed regulation, failure to abide by the systems may result in
\nlegal penalties in the long run,\" Sitompul said.<\/p>\n
Surveyor Indonesia yesterday signed a memorandum of
\nunderstanding with British Maritime Technology and Aspects
\nCertification, two United Kingdom-based accreditation agencies
\nfor quality and environment management systems, which will allow
\ntechnology to be transferred to the surveyor firm.<\/p>\n
Signatories of the memorandum of understanding were Faried
\nBarchia, the president of Surveyor Indonesia, David Cairns, the
\ndirector of British Maritime Technology, and Stan Counsel, the
\nmanaging director of Aspects Certification.<\/p>\n
Sitompul said the cooperation was expected to help Surveyor
\nIndonesia become an accreditation agency in the future.<\/p>\n
Surveyor Indonesia, established in 1991, is a joint-venture
\ncompany with 20 percent of its shares owned by Geneva-based
\nSociete Generale de Surveillance (SGS) and the remaining 80
\npercent by the government.<\/p>\n
It presently conducts pre-shipment inspections of Indonesia's
\nimports at points of loading under a contract with the
\ngovernment, in cooperation with SGS as its sub-contractor.<\/p>\n
Certificates<\/p>\n
Sitompul, who is also Surveyor Indonesia's executive official
\nin charge of quality and environmental management, said that
\nbanks should start asking prospective debtors if they have ISO
\n9000 or ISO 14000 certificates.<\/p>\n
\"Surely creditor banks won't like to see the development of a
\ngolf course or a high-rise building which they financed being
\nprotested by human rights activists or environmentalists,\"
\nSitompul cited.<\/p>\n
The ISO 9000, established by the Geneva-based International
\nOrganization for Standardization, is a total quality management
\nstandard and a benchmark of excellence.<\/p>\n
The ISO 14000, to be introduced next year, is a similar
\nstandard for environmental business practices.<\/p>\n
Responding to rumors that the ISO 9000 certificate can be
\n\"bought\" by companies, Sitompul said the main objective of the
\nstandardization was not in gaining the certificate.<\/p>\n
\"The quality and environmental management systems are meant to
\nbecome a built-in concept. You can display a certificate, but you
\ncan't hide the results of the process from the public,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sitompul added that by holding such certificates, a company
\nwill be more efficient and, in turn, gain a competitive edge.<\/p>\n
The ISO 9000 and ISO 14000, he said, require companies to
\nundergo a regular surveillance audit and environmental assessment
\nreports, which must be approved by internationally-accredited
\nauditing agencies.<\/p>\n
As of this month, 70 companies in Indonesia had obtained ISO
\n9000 certificates, while 700 companies in Malaysia already have
\nsimilar certificates. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/banks-to-link-loans-to-waste-control-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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