BB Governor asks banks to join hands to fund CSR initiatives
Sunday, 9 May 2010
FE Report
Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman has asked the local private commercial banks to join hands together to fund large scale CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives in the country's health sector.
"Private commercial banks", he said, "can jointly set up mega scale health infrastructure as the government initiatives alone cannot cater to the massive healthcare needs of the country's huge population".
"So, the local banks can make significant contribution in leveraging quality healthcare for the nation's poor people" Atiur said while inaugurating a new hospital funded by Exim Bank Limited in the city's Mirpur area Saturday.
Atiur observed that a good number of hospitals and medical institutions like this with even bigger capacity can be set up with joint funding from the local banks so that they can cater a large number of patients at the same time.
The central bank governor also urged the private healthcare providers to increase their accessibility to the lower income group, as the expensive medical treatment at the commercially run hospitals often bared the majority population from accessing such institutions.
"Although the private run hospitals and medical institutions over the years have helped to ease the pressure on the public healthcare providers, their doors should be open to the lower income group as well in some extent", he said.
Urging the local banks to spend more on various CSR projects, the BB Governor said that major initiatives are in the offing on the government part to encourage the corporate houses in embarking CSR schemes.
"Major indications are there from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to offer special incentives on CSR initiatives in the near future, while the government is likely to make the conditions for CSR activities more easier during the upcoming budget", Atiur said.
The central bank governor also asked the private banks to take their services at the district and suburban level to tap the business and investment opportunities in the remote areas.
"There should be at least one or two branches of every single private commercial bank in all the district towns and major suburbs", he said.
Later, he formally inaugurated the 20 beds' hospitals located at the Kazipara, Rokeya Shoroni of the Mirpur area in the capital.
The set up cost of the state-of-the-art hospital is estimated at Tk 35 million and it is entirely funded by the Exim Bank Foundation- officials said.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of Exim Bank Md. Nazrul Islam Mazumder said, "In the near future, we would also establish a medical college for higher studies in medicine while taking the service of our hospital to the divisional headquarters and district towns".
"From this Exim Bank Hospital, impoverished freedom fighters would get medical facilities free of cost", he said.
Exim Bank Managing Director Kazi Mashiur Rahman and other members of the board of directors of the bank also spoke on the occasion.
Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman has asked the local private commercial banks to join hands together to fund large scale CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives in the country's health sector.
"Private commercial banks", he said, "can jointly set up mega scale health infrastructure as the government initiatives alone cannot cater to the massive healthcare needs of the country's huge population".
"So, the local banks can make significant contribution in leveraging quality healthcare for the nation's poor people" Atiur said while inaugurating a new hospital funded by Exim Bank Limited in the city's Mirpur area Saturday.
Atiur observed that a good number of hospitals and medical institutions like this with even bigger capacity can be set up with joint funding from the local banks so that they can cater a large number of patients at the same time.
The central bank governor also urged the private healthcare providers to increase their accessibility to the lower income group, as the expensive medical treatment at the commercially run hospitals often bared the majority population from accessing such institutions.
"Although the private run hospitals and medical institutions over the years have helped to ease the pressure on the public healthcare providers, their doors should be open to the lower income group as well in some extent", he said.
Urging the local banks to spend more on various CSR projects, the BB Governor said that major initiatives are in the offing on the government part to encourage the corporate houses in embarking CSR schemes.
"Major indications are there from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to offer special incentives on CSR initiatives in the near future, while the government is likely to make the conditions for CSR activities more easier during the upcoming budget", Atiur said.
The central bank governor also asked the private banks to take their services at the district and suburban level to tap the business and investment opportunities in the remote areas.
"There should be at least one or two branches of every single private commercial bank in all the district towns and major suburbs", he said.
Later, he formally inaugurated the 20 beds' hospitals located at the Kazipara, Rokeya Shoroni of the Mirpur area in the capital.
The set up cost of the state-of-the-art hospital is estimated at Tk 35 million and it is entirely funded by the Exim Bank Foundation- officials said.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of Exim Bank Md. Nazrul Islam Mazumder said, "In the near future, we would also establish a medical college for higher studies in medicine while taking the service of our hospital to the divisional headquarters and district towns".
"From this Exim Bank Hospital, impoverished freedom fighters would get medical facilities free of cost", he said.
Exim Bank Managing Director Kazi Mashiur Rahman and other members of the board of directors of the bank also spoke on the occasion.