Starting in September, newly trained SCP consultants, under the guidance of the SMART Myanmar Project SCP team leader, will conduct company audits analysing all production processes and make recommendations on how to reduce the consumption of energy and other resources, improve productivity levels, reduce waste and improve workers’ health and safety.
SMART Myanmar Project is an EU Switch Asia Program designed to increase the competitiveness of SMEs in Myanmar that promotes and supports Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), especially in the garment sector. SMART stands for “SMEs for Environmental, Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency”
Sustainable Consumption and Production is a concept that puts emphasis on resource efficiency and social responsibility. These are hot topics on the agenda of many international buyers. Practising SCP will lead to cleaner, safer and more efficient production and therefore increase the competitiveness of an industry sector.
Company owners can take the opportunity to join and signify their interest to take part in a basic company audit. It will only take a day and after a short evaluation they will receive the results of the audit and recommendations on how to improve in various areas. In case they are convinced that it is time for more thorough analysis and improvements they have the chance to continue later with a comprehensive audit that will be offered as a follow-up activity. Applied SCP will open the way to cleaner, safer and more efficient production and therefore increase the company’s competitiveness.
Ms. Khine Khine Nwe, Executive Secretary of the Myanmar Garment Association and a garment factory owner herself, said: “These audits are a good opportunity for the Myanmar garment manufacturers to get an assessment of their current status and an identification of areas for improvement. My company will definitely join the program and take part in the audits.”
The SMART Myanmar project will provide advisory services in Yangon and surroundings in the garment industry and in other sectors. More than hundred SMEs in Myanmar can benefit from company audits to reduce energy consumption, improve productivity levels, reduce waste and improve workers’ health and safety. For these advisory services SMART Myanmar will train around fifteen local engineers to become SCP consultants. National and international experts from the project partners, guaranteeing high-quality inputs, will conduct the two months training, which will start on July 24, 2013.Paul Tinsley, enterprise manager at UK based Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of the project partners, said: "This programme gives us an opportunity to share best practices with Myanmar people to develop SMEs and allow future generation to develop their infrastructure"
