It's time for corporate houses to contribute to society

Key leaders of some of the private sectors are misusing the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund that actually belongs to the people of the Kingdom, for unnecessary events, Bahrain Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Society Chairman, Khalid Al Qoud said, urging the corporate sector to contribute to the sustainable development of the society.

“The fund actually belongs to the people of this Kingdom. But in some organisations, the fund is used to give unnecessary publicity to the heads of the corporate houses,” he said, adding that such budgets could be used to open more hospitals, shelters for the needy and also to create young entrepreneurs in the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, he said it is high time for the corporate houses like banks, smelters and telecommunication companies to contribute to the betterment of the society, since the government is compelled to take tough measures like withdrawing meat subsidy.

He said the government is doing its best to fulfil the needs of the people in the Kingdom and that the same government has given a lot of facilities like subsidized energy and free land to corporate houses to set up their businesses in the Kingdom.

“Therefore, these business houses, which register millions of dinars of profit every year, have the responsibility to pay back to the society when unforeseen conditions compelled the government to withdraw subsidy,” he said.

He asked the corporate houses to follow the footsteps of family business owners in the Kingdom. “The family business owners played a major role in promoting sustainable development in Bahrain. They built hospitals, prayer houses and other facilities for the benefit of people,” he said.

 Stop blaming government

 Rebuking the critics of the government, Khalid Al Qoud said that the critics have forgotten the role played by the government in supporting people as well as companies.

“The government has been providing free education through public schools. On the other hand, good healthcare is available at a subsidised rate. Tamkeen, which is a part of government’s national reform initiative, is engaged in helping individuals who wish to start businesses or expand their business. For years, people received meat and fuel at a subsidised rate. The people of Bahrain should be thankful to the government,” he said.

Al Qoud asked the critics of the government to go the United Kingdom or the United States of America and see the income tax and other taxes people were compelled to pay there.

 “So far no tax has been levied here. Still, the Bahraini government has ensured high standard of living to its people,” he said.

The government is also supporting the unemployed youth of the Kingdom. On the other hand, a lot of corporate houses shut the doors to fresh graduates, claiming that they don’t have enough experience. But the corporate houses forget the fact that they too are responsible for training the youth, he said, requesting the elected representatives of Bahrain to pass a resolution, compelling the corporate houses to contribute towards the society.