Large corporations have often been accused of ignoring their corporate social responsibilities, especially on the environmental front; causing much aggravation and frustration among the communities and areas they operate in. - File photo

LAHORE: The government can play a positive role in promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Pakistan by creating an environment conducive to investment, and by working with the corporate sector for the implementation of community development programmes at the grassroots level. Speakers said this at the launch of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Pakistan Year Book 2009’ at Royal Palm Golf & Country Club on Friday.

More than 150 executives from the corporate sector, diplomats, government officials, members of civil society and media attended the event.

‘The government can play a positive role by working with the corporate sector,’ said Alan Handerson, chief executive of FritoLay

Pakistan, Snacks Division of Pepsi Cola International, the lead sponsor of the event.

‘This is a landmark event, a start of a long journey that is going to last for decades to come.

‘Financial success of a business goes hand-in-hand with social and environmental responsibilities. CSR is the correct thing for our business. We believe in achieving business and financial success while leaving a positive imprint on society,’ Handerson said.

Naveed Khwaja, chief operating Officer (COO) of English Biscuits Manufacturers, said CSR activity in Pakistan was only a drop in the ocean for a population of 166 million people. The corporate sector cannot make a big difference without the support of the government.

‘What is lacking is the passion and commitment to CSR and a vision for long-term planning. The government has not been regulating CSR in Pakistan, it does not really know how to. As a group, we can work with the government on putting in place a regulatory framework that could encourage, promote and measure the tangible benefits of CSR,’ Mr Khwaja said.

Ammanullah Khan, senior programme officer at the Islamabad-based Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy, said that public-private partnerships between the government and non-profit organisations could play a pivotal role in expediting community development programmes. There is, however, a scarcity of direction and vision about the nature and benefits of CSR in the corporate sector.

‘About 40 per cent of the corporate companies in Pakistan think CSR means merely paying taxes. Another 30 per cent believe CSR is contributing to community welfare or donating to organisations for social development purposes and community development, while 15 per cent think that CSR equates employee welfare, and 10 per cent think CSR means working in areas where the company's interests lie. Only five per cent clearly understand CSR means directly implementing social development activities and projects,’ Khan said.

Nausheen Ishtiaq, external relations at Procter & Gamble, said that the corporate sector faced several challenges in implementing CSR projects and programmes in the absence of government support.

CSR Pakistan Year Book and Online Portal is the brainchild of Capital Business Pakistan Private Limited, a company providing CSR, corporate communications, contract publishing and project research and development support services to international and multinational companies, as well as the international and regional donor and development agencies.

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