Efficiency division of Astra gets ISO 9001

JAKARTA (JP): The Efficiency Division of PT Astra International received an ISO 9001 certificate yesterday from a British company for its internal consulting services on quality, cost and delivery management.

Erik Roger, president of British company Societe Generalle de Surveillance-International Certification Services, presented the certificate to deputy chief executive of Astra International, Benny Subianto, in a brief ceremony at the latter's office here.

"This achievement confirms that Astra International is the first holding company in the country to receive the ISO 9001," Subianto said.

Astra International is the holding company of the diversified Astra group of firms.

The ISO 9001 is one of a series of certificates issued by the international standard organization for industry management of design, operation and after sales services.

Subianto said the efficiency division, one of the eleven divisions of the group, provides internal consulting services for eliminating inefficiency in quality, cost and delivery management.

Five subsidiaries of the Astra Group have received ISO 9000 certificates for operational processes; namely PT Astra Microtonics Technology, PT Sumalindo Lestari Jaya, PT GS Battery, PT Sentral Lighting Indah and PT Dharma Polimetal.

Another subsidiary, PT United Tractor Pandu Engineering, is slated to receive an ISO 9000 certificate from the Australian- based SAQAS next week.

Astra International, established in February 1957, began operations as a general trading firm and has developed substantial core businesses in the automotive, motorcycle and agricultural sectors.

Astra International floated part of its shares and listed them on the Jakarta Stock Exchange in 1990.

The company reported that its consolidated sales revenues increased by 41.88 percent to Rp 5.8 trillion (US$2.5 billion) in the first semester of this year over the same period of last year, while its net profit rose 58.20 percent to Rp 181 billion.(kod)