MAS Intimate wins coveted Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2014

Wednesday, 26 November 2014 00:42 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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