ISO certificates to SMEs via IDB

IDB Director General with the distinguished invitees and two winners with the award.

From left: National Cleaner Production Centre CEO Samantha Kumarasena; IDB Director General P.L.U. Rathnamalala;  Ministry of Industry and Commerce Secretary K.D.N. Ranjith Ashoka; Sri Lanka Standard Institute Deputy Director General B. Ekanayake; IDB RDD Director K.M.S.G. Bandara. Winners of the awards – Calton Sweet House Finance and Operation Manager Madushika Threemanna and Calton Sweet House Factory Manager Katana-Gampaha Sudath

Industrial Development Board of Ceylon in collaboration with National Cleaner Production Centre successfully completed the project “Facilitating SMEs to obtain ISO 14001 certification through cleaner production practices”.

The focus of this project wais to reduce adverse environmental impact from fourteen selected industries through changes in industrial behavior and technology being used. National Cleaner Production Centre, the consultation body of this project, provided options to optimise the resource efficiency through cleaner production assessments and energy audits.  

The ISO 14001 is a globally accredited certification, and awards to companies that manage and minimise environmental impacts from operational process activities. The National Cleaner Production Centre has selected 14 Companies and awarded them with a view to encourage them and others to control and reduce adverse environmental impacts, as well as continuously improve organisational environmental performance. 

Some of the strategies which industries deployed were reduction of electricity and water consumption as well as material wastage, minimising of environmental impacts from chemical and oil spillages, waste water treatment practices and proper disposal methods of waste including electronic waste.  This certification serves to encourage sustainable business practices, providing a unifying basis for industry compliance through regulations and environmental standards.

One of the objectives of this project was to provide a financial grant for the industries to implement those options and for the certification process. A maximum of Rs.300,000 is endorsed for each industry and the Financial Grant Award Ceremony was held on Friday 28 December at the ‘Miloda’ Academy of Financial studies, Colombo 1, with the participation of Ministry of Industry and Commerce Secretary K.D.N. Ranjith Asoka as Chief Guest.  

The Officials of the Ministry, Industrial Development Board, Director General P.L.U. Rathnamalala National Cleaner Production Centre Chief Executive Officer Samantha Kumarasena, Sri Lanka Standard Institute DDG A. Ekanayake  along with IDB Director  K.M.S.G. Bandara were among the distinguished invitees to the function.  

At the certificate awarding ceremony the following  prestigious industries received  the ISO 14001 standard certificates under this project: Anna Industries – Jaffna ; Annai Sea Foods Ltd, Jaffna ; Sarrah Industries, Jaffna; East Lanka Polisack, Batticaloa; Niwala Tea factory, Matara; Morawakkorale Tea Producers Cooperative Society, Matara; Freelan, Matara; Cecilian Associates Ltd., Ratnapura; Galpaditenna Tea Factory, Ratnapura; Mico Ceylon Organic Ltd., Ratnapura; Royal Cashew, Gampaha; Calton Sweet House, Katana, Gampaha; First Furniture, Bandaragama and Malindu Dairy Products, Angunakolapelassa.