MAS Intimate wins coveted Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2014
By Senuri de Silva
MAS Intimates Ltd. last night bagged the coveted Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 12014 presented by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
The 1st Runner-Up was Commercial Bank, while the 2nd Runner-Up was Aitken Spence.
The annual awards scheme saw the ‘Sustainability’ stars of the corporate world being recognised for their untiring efforts to adopt ‘Best Sustainability Practices’ in their business processes.
Best corporate citizen winner of MAS intimates Managing Director/CEO Dian Gomes Receiving the award from Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Suresh Shah. other from left Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Vice Chairman Samantha Ranatunga and Reserve Bank of India former Deputy Governor Dr. Subir Gokarn. Pic by Upul Abayasekara
The awards ceremony was attended by over 400 distinguished guests and several companies were recognised under different categories.
Laugfs Gas Plc won the Category B (less than Rs. 15 billion turnover), with 1st Runner-Up being Standard Chartered Bank and 2nd Runner-up clinched by Watawala Plantations PLC.
The event’s keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Subir Gokarn, an Indian economist, who was also a former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, while MTI Consulting International CEO Hilmy Cader addressed as the Guest of Honour.
Over 70 firms, which came forward to take part in the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2014, will be vying for an award at this year’s BCCS, which commenced in 2004.
The decade-old BCCS competition highlights the commitment shown by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce towards helping local corporate firms to adopt and adapt to sustainable practices to help preserve the planet.
Prof. Uditha Liyanage, Professor of Management at the Postgraduate Institute of Management, was the Chairman of the Evaluators Panel of the BCCS Panel of 2014, while former Attorney General Palitha Fernando functioned as the Chairman of the Judges Panel.
Keynote speaker Dr Subir Gokaran spoke on “From Nice to Have to Must have Sustainability Strategy” and made a case for “mainstreaming sustainability” so that it is a nonnegotiable part if business. Referring to research conducted in the area he said while, “Objectively looking at it the evidence it is not overwhelmingly persuasive in either direction,” citing a study conducted in 2013 Dr Gokaran pointed out that 78% of the studies conducted showed a positive correlation between sustainability and profits while 13% showed negative results and the remaining showed no correlation.
Furthermore the same paper divided the studies into two categories; those conducted on market metrics and those conducted on accounts metrics. Here he pointed out that the accounts metrics showed more positive outcome which shows that insiders (such as stakeholders and managers) have experienced more positive result as compared to outsiders. However the study did not reveal the reason behind this result.
The guest of honor Hilmy Cader gave a passionate speech on why CSR was important for organizations today. He said the main reason for this need was corporate greed as companies are not satisfied with 5-6 percent growth and this has led to serious resource depletion in the world. As a result of organizations being the major users of resources in the world, he went on to state, “Solving social problems is no longer left for the government alone.”
Cader further added, “Benevolence, ego, fashion, guilt, pressure, recognition and ROI and marketing” as the main reasons for companies to engage in CSR.
Therefore he urged companies not to focus simply on the act of giving but also on the needs of the receiver and the social needs when engaging in CSR.
Category Awards
Environmental Management – MAS Intimates
Environmental Integration (joint winners) – Aitken Spence and Diesel and Motor Engineering
Projects for Environmental Value Addition – Singer (Sri Lanka)
Employee Relations – Ceylon Tobacco Company
Customer Relations – Unilever Sri Lanka
Community Relations – MAS Intimates
Governance – Singer (Sri Lanka)
Financial Performance – Ceylon Biscuits
Economic Contribution – Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC
Triple Bottomline Awards
Environmental Sustainability – MAS Intimates
Social Sustainability – MAS Intimates
Economic Sustainability – Commercial Bank of Ceylon
Sector Awards
Agriculture – Watawala Plantations
Manufacturing – MAS Intimates
Infrastructure – Access Engineering
Financial Services – Commercial Bank of Ceylon
Non-Financial Services – Sri Lanka Telecom
Diversified – Aitken Spence
Best Presentation – Ceylon Tobacco Company
Top 10 Corporate Citizens
Aitken Spence
Ceylon Biscuits
Ceylon Tobacco Company
Commercial Bank of Ceylon
Hatton National Bank
MAS Intimates
Peoples’ Leasing & Finance
Sampath Bank
Singer (Sri Lanka)
Sri Lanka Telecom
Best Sustainability Project Awards 2014
Best Projects
AIA Insurance Lanka – Preserving Life during Poson Project
Eswaran Brothers Exports – Green Tea Project
Holcim (Lanka) – Geocycle Solar Drying Facility Project
Sampath Bank – Hope for a life Project
Tokyo Cement Company (Lanka) – Reef Rehabilitation Project
Yala Properties – Jetwing Yala – Jetwing Youth Development Project
Long-term Projects
Commercial Bank of Ceylon – Supporting the National Healthcare System Project
Merit Certificates
Aitken Spence – Empowering Sri Lanka First Project
Ceylon Biscuits – Munchee Tikiri Shishyadara Project
Ceylon Biscuits – Munchee Samaga Gamata Sarana Project
Ceylon Tea Services – Dilmah Agriculture Centre Project
Coca Cola Beverages Sri Lanka – Women Empowerment Project
Coca Cola Beverages Sri Lanka – Water Replenishment Project
Commercial Bank of Ceylon – Replanting Corals in the confines of the Hikkaduwa Marine Park Project
Derana Powerhouse – Manusath Derana Project
Diesel & Motor Engineering – Turtle Conservation Project
Linea Aqua – The Rejuvenation and Revitalisation of Bundala National Park Project
Linea Aqua – Mulatiyanwala Aquatic Lake Cleanup Project
MAS Holdings –Education on Sustainable Development Project
Millennium Information Technologies – North East Reconciliation and Rebuilding Project
Sampath Bank – Outstanding Eco Teams Project
Sampath Bank – Wewata Jeewayak Project
Singer (Sri Lanka) –Singer Fashion Academy Project
Unilever Sri Lanka – Building a Cavity Free Nation Project
