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At the workshop on CSR |
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the practice of CSR, particularly SA8000 standard will bring many benefits to businesses and the society. The province’s Cooperative Alliance and Vietnam Cooperative Alliance’s Business Promotion and Service Center (BPSC) held a workshop on CSR and the practice of CSR on June 25.
CSR is useful for business
Economists said that CSR included not only charitable work but businesses’ commitment to contribute to the sustainable economic development through improving the living standards of employees and their family members, the community, and the whole society.
With the severe competitiveness of business world, those who want to sustainably develop must follow not only business norms but standards for the environment protection, gender equality, labor safety, and various issues, including social welfare and charitable work.
Practising CSR helps enterprises enhance their prestige, expand their business and markets, and improve the operation and quality of their products.
Also, employees will have more chances to benefit from health insurance and legal assistance.
In Vietnam, many businesses carrying out CSR effectively reaped encouraging results. A survey showed that the turnover of 24 firms increased by 25 percent and their rate of exported products also rose from 94 to 97 percent thanks to CSR.
CSR of businesses in Binh Dinh is partly inefficient
At the workshop, participants talked about the practice of CSR in Binh Dinh and measures to help businesses and cooperatives carry out CSR in a better way.
Vice director of the province’s Department of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Van Thang, said that nearly 5,000 enterprises in the province have showed their responsibility for the society to some extent, such as building waste treatment systems and sponsoring public events.
However, some didn’t focus on the environment protection as well as labour safety, Thang added.
Many are not well aware of the practice of CSR, according to Nguyen Viet Cuong, an official of Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Only 66 businesses have applied ISO 9000, ISO 14000, HACCP, GMP, and ISM code and one has used SA8000 standard so far.
Some companies specializing in forest products, granite, and aquaculture didn’t build waste treatment systems and offer periodic health check to their laborers, he emphasized
Strengthening CSR of businesses
CSR is a must on the way of integration, said BPSC vice manager, Nguyen Thi Bich Hanh. It not only benefits businesses and society but enhance their competitiveness and business culture in the modern economy.
The province’s functional bodies have to assist businesses in the practice of CSR, Hanh added. Studies on advantages and difficulties of firms need to be carried out, aiming to put CSR into practice.
Alongside these, policies must be proposed to create favourable conditions for businesses to implement CSR.
“The workshop helped managerial staff know more about CSR,” said Chairman of the province’s Cooperative Alliance, Nguyen Chi Linh. “More talks on the issue will be held in the coming time, aiming to help businesses and cooperatives carry out CSR better.”
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