Karachi: Standard Chartered Pakistan launches its third annual Sustainability Review, setting out how it has delivered on its strategy to provide a strong return for shareholders, while creating social and economic value in the communities where it operates. As the largest international bank in the country with 116 branches in 22 cities of Pakistan, Standard Chartered is now truly a part of the social fabric of this country. Through the Bank’s sustainability strategy we seek to strengthen relationships between the business, community, government and customers.
Giving back to the community remains an important part of Standard Chartered’s sustainability agenda. In Pakistan, the Bank’s community efforts are focused on education and health. During 2013, the Bank contributed PKR 24.6million on these initiatives. Through the Bank’s education programme, it has extended more than 3300 post-matriculate scholarships to deserving students and supports institutions for both vocational and higher learning.
Since 2003, Standard Chartered has improved access to eye-care for more than 25 million people in deprived areas through Seeing is Believing, its programme to tackle avoidable blindness. In Pakistan the Bank has funded more than 566,000 cataract operations to date. A 20 per cent reduction in cataract blindness in Pakistan is attributable to the Bank. As a result, the Government of Pakistan has made Standard Chartered its official and only corporate partner.Standard Chartered encourages its employees to get involved in community projects and offers staff three days paid leave to volunteer each year. Bank staff have responded positively, volunteering nearly 12,500 days since 2009. In 2013, 4,827 employee volunteering days have been recorded, an increase of five per cent.
Najam Siddiqi, Acting Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Standard Chartered, Pakistan said: “Here for good, our brand promise is all about commitment – to our customers and clients, to our people and to the communities where we work. In 2013, what continued to be a challenging and changing global environment, we stood firm in our determination to create long term value for society as well as our shareholders.”