This week, for the fifth year running, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recognised 10 of Sri Lanka’s best corporate citizens with Corporate Social Responsibility Awards.
Nestle |
Aitken Spence |
Sampath Bank |
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The top 10 best corporate citizen awards went to Aitken Spence & Company, Cargills (Ceylon), Ceylon Biscuits, Ceylon Tobacco, Colombo Dockyards, Holcim (Lanka), Nestle Lanka, Sampath Bank, Singer (Sri Lanka) and HSBC.
Nestle Lanka Ltd was the winner of the Best Corporate Citizen Award this year with Aitken Spence & Company coming in as first runner-up and Sampath Bank winning the second runner up position.
In the category of companies with less than Rs 10 billion turnover, the winner was Colombo Dockyard with Eagle Insurance and Associated Motorways winning first and second runner up positions.
The Chamber also awarded five category winners under the five categories of Environment, Community Relations, Employee Relations, Customer/Supplier Relations and Economic Performance. The winner of the Environment category was Aitken Spence, while Sampath Bank won the Community Relations category. The Employee Relations category winner was Holcim (Lanka) while the Customer/Supplier Relations category winner was Ceylon Biscuits and Cargills (Ceylon) was the Economic Performance category winner.
Speaking at the award ceremony, the head of the UNDP Neil Buhne, said the current global economic turmoil does not mean businesses can drop their social responsibilities.
The mounting uncertainty about the future, said the head of the UNDP, does not make Corporate Social Responsibility irrelevant or a “luxury.” On the contrary, said the UNDP head, responsible business will help improve business.
“Public trust in the private sector and markets has been damaged worldwide. Trust is a pre-requisite for business to be successful and this is in danger in many countries,” said Mr Buhne.
Voluntary initiatives of CSR, said Mr Buhne, will not become irrelevant or unviable in the current global context and called on more commitment by business for “responsible business.”
The head of the UNDP also said that while protectionism is not the answer to the current global economic crisis, rampant free-markets were also not the solution. He said regulations are required, even in a market-economy, to minimise social costs.
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