SA 8000-certified production of eyewear cloths for the optical industry The applicant, Pratex Asia Limited is involved in the production and trade of textile products for international eyewear companies like Oakley and Ray Ban. It has production facilities in Cambodia and Shanghai, the latter producing eyewear storage pouches. The increasing international market demand for embossed and screen printed microfiber cleaning cloths, combined with the relative favourable investment climate in Cambodia, has led to the project proposal for a new production facility in Cambodia.Pratex Asia Limited will set up a joint venture together with its production partner Pactics Cambodia Co. Ltd.. The joint venture will be established in Siem Reap and will produce eyewear cloths in accordance with the high social and environmental standards currently pursued by Pratex Asia Limited in China. The joint venture will acquire the social standard SA 8000.The project will include the construction of an environmentally sound designed facility equipped with solar panels. It will include staff quarters, a day care centre and will actively stimulate the employment of mine victims from the region. Production equipment will include embossing and screen printing equipment, lab and packing equipment. The joint venture will introduce innovative automated industrial screen printing and embossing production techniques in Cambodia.The joint venture will create 160 jobs in the non-industrial region of Siem Reap. Staff will be trained in subjects related to embossing and screen printing, quality control, health and safety aspects and compliance with SA 8000 and ISO 9001:2008 standards. The project will set an example for the local garment industry.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)The CSR philosophy is more or less the strongest point of the project. The applicant has already implemented a satisfying CSR policy and has added it to the proposal. It shows the intention for a good CSR is not forced by PSI regulation, but has been adopted as the company standard.In line with this the joint venture will acquire the (social) SA 8000 and ISO 14001 (environment) certificates. The factory will be designed to make use of renewable and natural resources.Further the joint venture will make the factory accessible for handicapped workers, female staff is allowed to take maternity leave and a day care centre will be accommodate.The joint venture will be a showcase in Cambodia for a factory that operates with high CSR standards.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsRelative many jobs (160) will be created for an industrial project although most of the jobs will be of basic-level. The joint venture will be SA 8000 and ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001 certificated, meaning good and safe working conditions.Fringe benefits will be offered, including free meals in the canteen, overtime payment, payment of a thirteenth month and payment of bonuses based on production performance. Further substantial training is foreseen on issues like production and processing techniques in an own training facility.The joint venture will recruit staff under handicapped mining victims.•	Innovation / Transfer of knowledgeThe screen printing technique is new as an automated printing technique in the textile sector of Cambodia. Sometimes screen printing is being used by hand for instance in art. The embossing technique is completely new in Cambodia. As part of the follow-up investment plan, the joint venture will also introduce the sublimation printing technique in Cambodia.•	Chain effectsThere is a certain impact on local suppliers partly due to the SA 8000 certification. In line with this certification suppliers of the joint venture will have to meet high standards as well. That will force suppliers to produce on the required higher level.The joint venture will share knowledge about the high standards that the joint venture applies but no specific activities in this respect are foreseen.The joint venture has no local clients as it produces only for Pratex. The clients of Pratex are international companies abroad.•	Impact on the sectorThe joint venture will organise a CSR day for relevant sector players.•	EnvironmentThe certification with ISO 14001 is about environment issues. The project will conduct business above these standards. It will generate for instance solar PV electricity, rainwater will be used for toilets and the construction of the factory will be designed to use as less as possible energy by making use of natural ventilation where possible.•	Position of womenThe project creates many jobs for women (114), being 72% of the total work force. The joint venture will provide day care, a nursery and a baby feeding room. The partners will set up a factory in Cambodia, using innovative production techniques, under high labour and environmental standards, to produce around 30 million embossed and screen printed cloths.