Framing of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) guidelines is facing delay due to some obstacles, State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan said Tuesday.
"Frankly speaking, the activities to make the CSR guidelines are going on at a snail's pace as there remain some impediments," he said.
But he didn't elaborate on the obstacles.
He made the remarks at a roundtable discussion on 'CSR: Social Justice and Workers' Welfare' organised by Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) at the National Press Club in Dhaka.
Mr Mannan addressed the programme as the chief guest.
BILS executive director Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, advisory committee secretary Delwar Hossain Khan and member Roy Ramesh Chandra, Dhaka University Professor Nakib M Nasrullah, Bangladesh Employers Federation adviser Kazi Saifuddin Ahmed also spoke at the discussion with BILS chairman Habibur Rahman Siraj in the chair.
The state minister said personally, he was not in favour of providing tax exemption facility to corporate organisations to encourage them to provide CSR fund.
"It is not a voluntary work of an organization, rather it is the responsibility and the practice of CSR activities needs to be established in the society," he added.
Mr Mannan said the corporate bodies should create CSR fund from their net profit instead of gross proceeds.
He also emphasised ensuring the presence of all stakeholders including trade unionists in framing the CSR guidelines so that the labour rights are secured.
Speakers at the programme called upon the government to finalise the draft Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) guidelines to ensure the optimal use of such funds.
They also urged the government to make it mandatory in the CSR guidelines for including trade union monitoring in CSR activities and not to mess up workers' welfare fund and CSR fund.
BILS executive director said transparency and accountability in CSR fund disbursement should be ensured to facilitate under-privileged labourers.
The finance and planning ministries have been preparing the CSR guidelines for public and private organisations incorporating social, economic and environmental dimensions.
[email protected]
