Iconic Medicare, a fully-owned subsidiary of Iconic Worldwide Berhad, has successfully passed an environmental, social and governance (ESG) responsibility audit as per the SMETA methodology, which was carried out by a third-party international audit firm.
It was officially certified for its glove manufacturing business after going through a 4-pillar SMETA audit scope.
The audit held at its PPE manufacturing facility in Batu Kawan, Penang, explored the extent of the employees’ social protection and ran across production subdivisions, support services and administration.
“Although not compulsory, the SMETA audit programme is an activity that we willingly participated in as it is a worldwide-recognised standard of how we conduct business. This is especially important for us as a relatively new PPE player, and we have the advantage to be able to align our goals to the long-term goals of society. As articulated in UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, we aim to create long-term sustainable value by driving positive outcomes for business, the economy, society and the planet,” Managing Director Dato’ Tan Kean Tet said.
“This will certainly lend greater confidence to customers of Iconic Worldwide as we seek to penetrate the US and European markets for our glove business,” he added.
Dubbed as one of the most widely used ethical audit formats in the world, Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audits (SMETA) is founded on the conventions of the International Labour Organization, as well as relevant local laws. It comprises modules such as labour standards, health and safety, management systems, environmental assessment and business ethics.
