EXIM Bank establishes hospital under CSR
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Private Commercial Banks (PCBs) are going ahead with their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in different spheres of society. Earlier, it was assumed that the PCBs were only profit-making machines. These days the PCBs are coming up with programmes of financial contribution to the society as an obligation to the humanity.
EXIM Bank has long been practising CSR (corporate social responsibility) through scholarship for poor and brilliant students, education promotion scheme, helping people affected by natural calamities, helping slum dwellers, donation to educational institutions to set up computer laboratories, beautification of city streets, construction of foot-overbridges, sports etc.
Keeping with this CSR practice, EXIM Bank inaugurated recently a hospital at Kazipara, Rokeya Shoroni, Mirpur in the capital city. We happened to attend the inauguration ceremony of the EXIM Bank Hospital (EBH). It was stated that the hospital would target the population in the middle and low-income groups. The EBH is, thus, strategically located to render health services covering a vast area. The EBH will help ease the pressure on the public healthcare providers in that area.
In the near future, the bank management will also establish a medical college and take the service of the hospital to the divisional headquarters and district towns. Impoverished freedom fighters will get medical facilities in the hospital free of cost. This is really praiseworthy.
The commercial banks (CBs) can jointly set up large-scale health infrastructures as the government initiatives alone cannot cater to the massive healthcare needs of the country's huge population. The local commercial banks can make a significant contribution in leveraging quality healthcare for the nation's poor people. The Bangladesh Bank (BB) and the National Board of Revenue (NBR) may play a vital role in encouraging the CBs in generating funds for big healthcare ventures. BB and NBR may formulate the guidelines on investment under CSR activities.
Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman, while inaugurating the hospital as chief guest, called upon the local private commercial banks to join to fund large-scale CSR initiatives in the country's health sector.
Presently, commercial banks are to pay corporate tax @42.50% of operating profit. Government may encourage CSR activities by waiving corporate tax on investment under CSR projects.
Ibnat Islam Etu & Ibsan Islam Edi
14/A/1, Lake Circus, Kalabagan, Dhaka-1205
E-mail: saiful_ibsan@yahoo.com
EXIM Bank has long been practising CSR (corporate social responsibility) through scholarship for poor and brilliant students, education promotion scheme, helping people affected by natural calamities, helping slum dwellers, donation to educational institutions to set up computer laboratories, beautification of city streets, construction of foot-overbridges, sports etc.
Keeping with this CSR practice, EXIM Bank inaugurated recently a hospital at Kazipara, Rokeya Shoroni, Mirpur in the capital city. We happened to attend the inauguration ceremony of the EXIM Bank Hospital (EBH). It was stated that the hospital would target the population in the middle and low-income groups. The EBH is, thus, strategically located to render health services covering a vast area. The EBH will help ease the pressure on the public healthcare providers in that area.
In the near future, the bank management will also establish a medical college and take the service of the hospital to the divisional headquarters and district towns. Impoverished freedom fighters will get medical facilities in the hospital free of cost. This is really praiseworthy.
The commercial banks (CBs) can jointly set up large-scale health infrastructures as the government initiatives alone cannot cater to the massive healthcare needs of the country's huge population. The local commercial banks can make a significant contribution in leveraging quality healthcare for the nation's poor people. The Bangladesh Bank (BB) and the National Board of Revenue (NBR) may play a vital role in encouraging the CBs in generating funds for big healthcare ventures. BB and NBR may formulate the guidelines on investment under CSR activities.
Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman, while inaugurating the hospital as chief guest, called upon the local private commercial banks to join to fund large-scale CSR initiatives in the country's health sector.
Presently, commercial banks are to pay corporate tax @42.50% of operating profit. Government may encourage CSR activities by waiving corporate tax on investment under CSR projects.
Ibnat Islam Etu & Ibsan Islam Edi
14/A/1, Lake Circus, Kalabagan, Dhaka-1205
E-mail: saiful_ibsan@yahoo.com