Call to reward private sector efforts
MUSCAT: A national award to honour private companies in Oman for fulfilling their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) role has been suggested by Said Al Kiyumi, chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI).
“We call upon the government to adopt the idea of launching an award for corporate social responsibility,” he said during a CSR conference on Tuesday.
Such an award will help express appreciation for companies which lead in the CSR field and will encourage others to take up philanthropic ventures, he added.
Rashid Al Busaidi, Assistant Professor at the Sultan Qaboos University, suggested that companies with a good track record of CSR programmes can be rewarded by way of relaxation in taxes.
The chairman announced the kickoff of the second OCCI CSR Award in the beginning of the seminar.
“We call upon the Omani media to help promote private sector initiatives,” Al Kiyumi stated.
Showcased
A number of leading private firms in the Sultanate showcased their latest CSR initiatives.
Experts and specialists in the field of social responsibility in Oman and elsewhere participated in the seminar, which featured a number of working papers.
The award aims to spread the culture of social responsibility, highlight the unique role that institutions and companies play in this respect, encourage commitment towards economic, social and environmental aspects, en- hance efforts for sustainable development and motivate and recognise the performance of private companies in the field of social responsibility while encouraging innovation in this area.
Kahlifa Al Shuwaibi, vice chairman of oil and gas workers’ trade union in Oman, welcomed the OCCI chairman’s suggestion and said that more companies should come forward with CSR initiatives.
“We had proposed companies to train and support workers through CSR to grow further in their career. Today, one of the oil companies have signed such a of deal. This will help the workers,” Khalifa said adding that more and more companies should come forward with such initiatives.