Minister of Social Development: "The private sector is the basic engine that serves the society and the non-governmental organizations"

Muscat: Of late, Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives have been trending all over the Sultanate, which remarkably signifies a holistic view on the pivotal role played by corporates in serving the society, environment, employees and stakeholders. To address the significance of adopting CSR strategies in various organizations, Corporate Social Responsibility Seminar took place on Tuesday at Grand Hyatt Muscat under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Said Al Kalbani, minister of social development.

The minister of social development affirmed that holding the seminar is an indicator for the importance of involving the various government and private organizations in the development process of the society. He hailed the role played by PEIE in the field of social development through the programs implemented by PEIE or at which the society takes part in an indirect way through the private sector enterprises.

Al Kalbani added that the private sector is the basic engine that serves the society and the non-governmental organizations. He also commended the efforts of the Ministry of Social Development in encouraging the enterprises to adopt social responsibility principle. He praised the role of the NGOs and charitable organizations which serve as basic partners in activating social development.

Held as part of the Oman Manufacturing Group (OMG) series of seminars organized by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), the event presented an ultimate learning experience, opportunity to network, highlight practical insights and discuss CSR policies and strategies with top experts and professionals. The event was set to gather CSR experts to share their thoughts and experience in the practical implementation of CSR programs and how they lead to a success of an organization in one way or another.

Addressing the audience, Engineer Musallam bin Mohamed Al Shehri, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of the PEIE for Operations, said: "The Oman Manufacturing Group (OMG) series of seminars are set to shed light on aspects related to the industrial sector and highlight cutting edge methods for the betterment of the sector."

Al Shehri pointed out that the Corporate Social Responsibility seminar comes within the belief of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates in the crucial role played by the private sector in activating a long-term sustainable development system in the society. "The involvement of the Sultanate's private sector companies in social responsibility activities contributes effectively in guaranteeing the development of the society," Al Shehri noted.

High-profile speakers

The seminar was moderated by Dr. M. Sherif Aziz, Advisor (Strategic Planning) at PEIE, and featured a line-up of high-profile speakers including Annelies Hodge, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Manager at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who has 14 years of professional experience in CSR, consulting, business development, organizational change, marketing and stakeholder engagement. Other speakers at the seminar comprised Almutasim bin Said Al Sariri, Corporate Communication and CSR Manager at Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C., Abdullah Mubarak Al Shekaili, National Fund Supervisor at Oman LNG, and Qasim Mohammed Al Balushi - CSR Manager at Oman India Fertilizer Company (OMIFCO) based in Sur.

'Win-win' strategy

Strategic CSR refers to those set of CSR activities that benefit social and environmental causes as well as the businesses. Speaking at the seminar, Annelies Hodge said, "CSR, when implemented strategically, truly is a 'win-win' strategy which complements and benefits both organizations and society alike. In terms of workplace initiatives for example, organizations that help society by providing healthy and fulfilling jobs also build a more loyal and productive workforce. It is the same for environmental initiatives, organizations that help society by consuming less resources and releasing less dangerous substances into the environment which endanger the health of others also save money while ensuring their ongoing license to operate."

When asked if CSR activities can only be undertaken by high-profile organizations, Annelies said: "We may hear more about the CSR activities of high-profile organizations because they are under the spotlight more and often have well-established PR functions and resources to actively manage their CSR initiatives."

"The research of Dubai Chamber's Centre for Responsible Business on CSR in SMEs shows that CSR can and is undertaken by large and small organizations alike. All companies are doing something regardless of their size or profile. The main difference is that smaller companies often do not have a name like 'CSR' for it or special resources dedicated to measuring, improving and communicating their CSR performance, it is just the way they do business but it is generally an ad-hoc rather than a strategic approach and hence the benefits are often limited," she added.

Hodge stressed that to realize the full 'win-win' benefits of CSR regardless of their size or profile; companies should move beyond ad-hoc initiatives and take a more strategic approach to CSR which embeds it in the 'way they do business' across their organization. "Fortunately, we are seeing this happening more and more in the Middle East and worldwide as awareness about CSR and its benefits grow," she added.

Integrated Program

Abdullah Mubarak Al Shekaili noted that Oman LNG views social responsibility as an integrated program. "Oman LNG has adopted social investment program as a key part of its structure. The shareholders in Oman LNG have allocated 1.5 per cent of net profits to social investment programs. Besides, the number of projects that benefited from these programs has touched 270 till date, while the total value of funding these projects touched around RO 35 million during the past decade," Al Shekaili said.

"Oman LNG also places certain priorities to provide necessary support to projects that serve communities, rehabilitating individuals' skills, and supporting innovation and creativity," Al Shekaili added.

Almutasim bin Said Al Sariri, on the other hand, explained that the definition of social responsibility is about working side by side with stakeholders and the society to carry out initiatives and sustainable projects in the economic, social and environmental spheres.

Qasim Mohammed Al Balushi stressed that Corporate Social Responsibility reflects positively on both corporates and communities. "The commitment to social responsibility leads to increase profitability and enhance the loyalty of employees. In fact, CSR brings in mutual benefits for corporates and societies in which these corporates operate," Al Balushi pointed out.

© Press Release 2012