Spend more on CSR activities: Gowher

Businesses should spend more on socially beneficial areas for sustainable development of the country, Prime Minister's International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi said yesterday.

“The government is giving more and more tax exemption for contribution to corporate social responsibility -- you can expand this area.”

The purpose of CSR is to address the root of a problem, he said.

“We have to address the fundamental problems,” he said at the inaugural session of a conference on CSR.

Korean Embassy in Dhaka in collaboration with CSR Centre organised the event styled “Korea-Bangladesh CSR Conference 2016: Changing for a Better World – CSR”.

Farooq Sobhan, chairman of CSR Centre's trustee board, moderated the conference.

Neither the government nor the private sector nor the civil society can address all the problems the society is facing, Rizvi said.

“When we can bring our joint expertise and bring our resources together, then we are able to solve the problems.”

Rizvi also asked the corporate houses to be more accountable in their CSR activities. “Yes, your generosity is admirable, but that has to be more accountable.”

Apart from maintaining accountability to their business goals, to their shareholders and to their customers, the businesses should also maintain the accountability to those members of the community they are supporting.

“Unless your accountability reaches your target group, I fear accountability will not be there in your CSR activities.”

CSR has become an integral part of the sustainable development agenda. “Resources are limited. So, we have to harness them responsibly,” he added.

Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Ahn Seong-doo said CSR is no longer a voluntary activity. “It has become an obligation nowadays.”

He also said the CSR activities of the Korean companies in Bangladesh together with the Korean government will help the country achieve sustainable development and social stability that will accelerate the overall socio-economic development. Mostafa Kamal, president of Korea-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “We can set up industries for economic development. But if the industries always damage the environment and society, it will not be beneficial to the people.”

The businesses should be engaged in alternative activities to save the environment and the society for future generations, he said. Business organisations always look for profit, but the objective should be sharing profit with the people for sustainable development of the community.

“If we cannot achieve sustainable development, we cannot keep our environment healthy for our future generations and improve the society,” he added.

The conference's technical session gave an overview on CSR activities by Korean companies and the organisations operating in Bangladesh. Officials of Youngone, Samsung, Korea Telecom and LG Electronics made four separate presentations on their CSR activities in Bangladesh.