Local logistics company receives international anti-bribery certification

PS Shipping and Customs Brokerage (PSSCB) Inc has recently secured an international anti-bribery and anti-corruption certificate (Tcertification), thus raising the bar on standards for local businesses.

The company, which is 100 per cent Guyanese-owned, received its Tcertification from TRACE – an international non-profit business association dedicated to anti-bribery compliance and good governance.
TRACE is widely recognised for establishing compliance standards and advancing commercial transparency worldwide.
The Tcertification review process is based on internationally-accepted standards and requires companies to complete global anti-bribery training, adopt a code of conduct and update due diligence information annually. Reports include a daily screening of names against international sanctions and enforcement lists.
The successful completion of Tcertification demonstrates companies’ commitment to commercial transparency, allowing them to serve as valued business partners to multinational companies.
Just a few months ago, PSSCB took the spotlight by becoming the first local company to acquire the ISO 45001:2018 Health and Safety Certification in Logistics, Customs Brokerage, Transportation, and Business Services in Guyana.
The company simultaneously acquired ISO 9001:2015 for quality in those services. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Phil Surooj shared that this achievement ought not to be seen as a win for his company but for Guyanese-owned businesses here.
“This is not just about PSSCB and what it has been able to achieve. This is a demonstration that local businesses, especially small- and medium-scale businesses, are capable of raising the bar very high and competing even with multinational corporations in terms of standards,” Surooj shared.
He said that he was inspired by President Dr Irfaan Ali’s speech at the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) awards ceremony last year, in which the Head of State called on local businesses to “step up” and “think big”.
“The Local Content Act makes it quite clear that the Government is committed to supporting the Private Sector and ensuring that we benefit from the opportunities here. So, it is now for us [businesses] to step up and show the Government that we also mean business,” the CEO added.
He took the opportunity to encourage other businesses to keep building on small successes and achievements and not to limit their potential, since there is enough room for every Guyanese business to have a share in the market.
Founded in 2001 to make it easier and less expensive to reduce the risk of bribery, TRACE is widely recognised for establishing compliance standards and advancing commercial transparency worldwide. Members include hundreds of multinational companies across all industry sectors.?TRACE is headquartered in the United States and registered in Canada, with a presence on five continents.