Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat spoke at the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) Company of Good Conferment Ceremony 2024 on July 18, 2024. He commended the 300 recognized companies for their contributions to corporate giving and emphasized the importance of corporate purpose in fostering social impact.
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat delivered a speech at the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) Company of Good Conferment Ceremony 2024 on July 18, 2024. The event recognized nearly 300 companies for their contributions to corporate giving, a significant increase from the 45 companies recognized at the inaugural ceremony in 2017.
Heng emphasized the importance of the Company of Good 2.0 strategy, introduced in 2023, which places a renewed focus on corporate purpose. This strategy encourages companies to pursue profit and growth while uplifting people, strengthening societies, and protecting the planet. He highlighted two key points about purposeful businesses: the diversity of ways companies can create positive impact and the potential for every company, regardless of size, to be a changemaker.
He praised the new Corporate Purpose Framework and Blueprint, which were developed by the Alliance for Action on Corporate Purpose. This framework guides companies in addressing five impact areas: People, Society, Governance, Environment, and Economic. Heng noted that many of the recognized companies, including over half of the recipients being small and medium enterprises (SMEs), have shown exemplary commitment to these areas.
Heng also shared inspiring examples, such as Social Gifting, a Champion of Good, which empowers differently-abled and senior gift crafters through an innovative e-commerce platform. He encouraged businesses to scale up their impact by collaborating and sharing best practices, citing initiatives like DBS’s Business for Impact Banking Package and NVPC’s “Grow with Purpose” program.
He concluded by urging companies to continue their efforts in building a more inclusive, resilient society and invited them to participate in the Future Economy Conference and Company of Good Conference as part of SBF’s Apex Business Summit.
Source – PMO
