Pakistan Steel (PS) has become the first industrial unit in Pakistan to acquire two international standard certificates, ISO 14001 and SA 8000. The certificate award ceremony was held at MTC Auditorium in PS on Tuesday. Erik Roger, President and Director, SGS Asian Pacific Region, presented the certificates to PS Chairman Abdul Qayyum. Erik Roger appreciated the achievements of PS for acquiring these certificates and said that there were only a few companies in the world which have been awarded these certificates, and added that he was convinced that this achievement was only possible through firm management commitment.
He said that transparent procurement manuals obtained by Pakistan Steel from Transparency International was another important landmark for honest and transparent activities in purchase, procurement, and marketing sectors of Pakistan Steel.
He said that in an increasingly industrialisation world, it was no longer sufficient to be efficient and profitable. "If what one is doing is damaging the environment and as a nation progresses from a developing nation to an industrialised nation, it has to take responsibility for the community through a commitment to a continuous improvement to the environment."
Roger said that in the global market of today, it is necessary for companies to be competitive and meet the requirements of their clients. These clients are now more and more demanding which requires that products are produced without harming the environment of the clients.
He said that by developing a system which meets the requirements of ISO 14001 for 'Environment Management System', PS has shown that it is a responsible corporate citizen and concerned not only with satisfying the short-term needs of the customers but also those of future generations.
He said that the benefits include a 'Green' image for clients and investors, good public relations with the surrounding community, better relations with the environmental regulators, increase in the morale and confidence of workers and, not the least, the benefits in reduction of waste, energy bills and a safer work environment.
He said that PS has also been awarded the 'SA 8000' certificate, and in the steel industry this standard is largely unknown and there are less than five companies in this sector, world-wide, which have received this certificate.
About the objective of 'SA 8000', he said that it is to improve the working conditions of an organisation. It is an international standard for Social Accountability and has been developed in response to and in close co-operation with NGOs.
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