Stakeholders to engage Parliament over Ghana’s CSR Bill – KB Williams 

Co-Founder and Lead Project Manager for the Centre for CRS West Africa, John Kojo Williams has revealed that stakeholders and actors are engaging parliamentarians on a Corperate Social Responsibility (CSR) bill for Ghana.

The bill when passed will compel companies operating in the country to be socially responsible for society and their stakeholders.

Mr Williams made this known ON Tuesday July 25, 2023 on the sidelines of the National CSR Sustainability Conference in Accra

He expounded that the Centre for CSR West Africa will continue to engage relevant stakeholders on the need for the CSR bill and possibly revisit the CSR Draft Policy to enrich it for the mutual benefits of companies and their relevant stakeholders.

“A lot of people would ask why the need for a CSR policy or a legislation around CSR? It is just to ensure that companies are socially responsible, that they are alive to their responsibility to society and their stakeholders” he noted.

“As a center, we will try as much as possible to lobby and if there is a need to revisit the CSR policy that is drafted and probably enrich it further, we will be dedicated to that,” he stated.

Chief Director of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Mr. Seth Twum-Akwaboah, in his address, eulogized the Centre for CSR West Africa for the sustained efforts in promoting Cooperate Social initiatives in the country. He further indicated that, the AGI has over the years supported the CSR initiative with many of its members embracing and working with the centre on many occasions.

He explained that as an Association, the AGI do not just support CSR initiatives but have programs that seeks to promote sustainability of companies operating in the country. He mentioned the Ghana Recycling Initiative by Private Enterprises (GRIPE) which is expected to reduce the volume of plastic waste in the country as one of their CSR Initiatives, further assuring that the Centre for CSR West Africa of the total commitment of the Association at all times to promote issues of sustainability and CSR in the country.

“It is not that we have a responsibility towards our community and environment, but for us, Corperate social responsibility and sustainability goes beyond just donations. It is a whole act of business doing well in an environment and supports people around it,” he noted.

The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, in a speech read on his behalf, asserts that Ghana has made enormous economic gains that failed to accelerate the pace of sustainable development in the country due to various environmental challenges across all sectors of the Ghanaian economy, hence the need to collaborate and work together on issues of Climate Change, land degradation among others that affect sustainable growth.

He emphasized that as an agency, there is strong collaborations between it and the mother ministry to design and implement policies that will enhance sustainability for the mutual growth of all stakeholders in harmony. He further asserted that, EPA is ready for collaborations that will enhance its efforts of promoting a clean and safe environment for all persons.

Various multinational companies such as Rhythms Foundation, VIVO, Vodafone Ghana, World Vision International, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Imperial General Assurance and other Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) were present at the conference.

By Derick Botsyoe || ghananewsonline.com.gh