Housing Corporation honoured

The Samoa Housing Corporation has received international recognition with a prestigious award for the second year in a row.

A Gold award was presented at the 2015 International Quality Convention held on May 25 in the New York Marriott Marquis Convention Hall to the chairman and the C.E.O. of the Samoa Housing Corporation.

S.H.C had also received a special Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) award for its Disaster Recovery Programme last year in Moscow.

This most recent award was presented to companies and organizations from 53 countries around the world for achievements in quality and excellence in leadership and service.

“I felt very humble,” said Matautia.

“It goes back to government and back to our people. It’s our people’s award.”

“This is the same award which the Samoa Shipping Company received a few years ago.”

Matautia said that the media sponsor of the event, Imar Press may well have noted in the local press, the Parliamentary sub committee’s comments about the work of S.H.C. in raising the living standards of people during difficult times (post cyclone).

The 2015 convention was the 26th year of these awards and past winners have included huge companies such as Wal Mart in the States.

“We started with an introductory session where you had to go up and do a one minute televised profile about your company and explain what quality is, Matautia said.

“I said quality is making people happy – your clients, your staff, the government.

“Then the Small Island Developing States theme was on my mind and I talked about how ‘small is beautiful’.”

Presided over by president and CEO Jose E. Prieto, Matautia said it was a great opportunity to network with outstanding personalities from the business world and the diplomatic corps.

“At our table there was an entrepreneur from Bangladesh who owns 20 companies making everything from textiles to microchips. He was accompanied by the Governor of the Central Bank of Bangladesh, a Cabinet Minister and the CEO.

“Also present was the Attorney General from El Salvador.

“We had wanted to invite Samoa's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ali'ioaiga Feturi Elisaia but at that time he was in Samoa for the SPREP meeting so S.H.C. was represented by our chairman of the Board, Tuilaepa Eti Faolotoi and myself.”

The main media sponsor of the Convention was Imar Press media group which covered the Awards Ceremony. Its more than 26 publications in English, French, Spanish, Russian and Portuguese feature those successful companies and organizations awarded.

In this way, the quality symbol and BID's QC100 Model is present in 179 countries around the world, creating a firm ground for the implementation of integral quality processes through the technology and procedures of this model of Total Quality Management.

According to Jose E. Prieto, President and CEO, “The award recipients are icons of commitment to leadership, technology and innovation, making them models for others in their sectors.”

From Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Middle East, companies and organizations received the International Quality Summit Award in recognition of their achievements and commitment to quality, thereby joining the historic group of prestigious B.I.D.