Brewery Explains Compliance

By S. U. Thoronka………………………….

The Company Secretary of the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (SLBL) Mr. A O U Collier in his engagement with members of the press said the company in line with Heineken is committed to ensuring a positive contribution to society through its global operations. “On that note it is equally expected of all our suppliers to help us to fulfill this commitment by actively supporting and respecting our values and principles in their own business practice,” he noted.

Some of the values and principles highlighted by the Company Secretary included but not limited to integrity and business conduct which he considered as essential preconditions for sustainable business;

In the area of human rights, he said Heineken endorses the values enshrined within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Core Conventions of the International Labour Organization based on respect for the dignity of the individual without distinction of any kind;

Speaking on the environment, the Company Secretary stated that Heineken strives to treat the environment with due care and to further complies with environmental and other legislations applicable to its operations in a geographical location.

He noted that production and supply chain processes have been designed to make an efficient use of available resources and to minimize the environmental impact.

According to the Company Secretary, Heineken expects its suppliers to fulfill the key mentioned criteria by incorporating them in their own business practice. He was of the view that their suppliers would take all necessary steps to ensure that the key elements of the Supplier Code are communicated to their employees.

While he also noted that Heineken suppliers are expected to adhere to and live by the criteria of the Supplier Code, in that regard he promised that Heineken would monitor the performance of its suppliers in respect to the aforementioned criteria.

He said Heineken prefers a continuous improvement approach with its suppliers to achieve compliance, adding that in the event there are cases of non-compliance, Heineken and its suppliers would develop ways and means to address those issues provided Heineken receives the commitment from the supplier within the appropriate time.

He categorically stated that where there is lack of commitment and corrective measures it would result in Heineken terminating such contracts as a final option.