The 4th Annual National Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) & Sustainability Conference has ended in Accra with a call on local firms to learn from the experience of multinational companies operating in the country.

The one-day conference was organised by the Centre for CSR, West Africa, in partnership with the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE), Chamber of Commerce with support from the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

It was to bring together all major actors with the CSR spectrum to discuss how companies could be more responsible to society, its people and the environment beyond profit-making.

The event was on the theme: “Promoting a culture of social responsibility among indigenous Ghanaian companies: lessons from multinationals.”

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Mr. Hirofumi Hoshi, praised the organisers for putting up the event to ensure both local and international companies help to achieve all the targets set by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The deliberations here on how Ghanaians can become more socially responsible like some of their multinational companies are very timely,” he noted.

Mr. Hoshi, therefore, called on all actors in the business landscape to play their part well so that there would be significant improvement in society.

Speaking in an interview with Today, the Director, Centre for CSR West  Africa, Mr. Kojo Williams, explained that the event was put together in order to carry every company along as the “world is moving towards sustainability and seeking to achieve the SDGs.”

“We believe that CSR should go beyond donations that companies give to the needy in society,” he added.

Source: todaygh