CTC's CSR program - one of the best in Asia

Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) was recognised in the Social Empowerment Category at the Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards (AREA) 2015 in Macau recently.

Organised by Enterprise Asia, the awards honour companies across Asia for outstanding and effective Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs conducted with a focus on being truly sustainable.

CTC's contribution towards social sustainable development through its on-going Sustainable Agriculture Development Program (SADP) has been recognised as one of the best across the continent.

Over the years, SADP has developed into one of the largest private-sector CSR initiatives across Sri Lanka. The program reaches out to villagers living below the poverty line and guides them with education and resources to achieve self-sustenance.

SADP works on the vision of 'helping those who help themselves', while promoting sustainable agricultural development that has in turn created a paradigm shift in the attitude among rural communities across the island.

Managing Director and CEO, CTC, Felicio Ferraz said, "It is indeed an honour that our efforts towards the sustainable development of the nation have been recognised at an international platform. Since the launch of SADP in 2006, we have taken steps to evolve the project in ways that meet changing national priorities. As a responsible corporate we strive to implement activities that actively contribute towards societal needs and are humbly proud that our endeavours have been recognised," he said.

The AREA Awards demonstrate an organisation's leadership, sincerity and on-going commitment in incorporating responsible and ethical values and involvement in the social improvement of communities and the environment.

Accordingly, in the nine years of its operation, SADP has expanded to cover 16 districts and has successfully touched the lives of over 17,400 families totalling over 67,000 beneficiaries islandwide.