Dar Es Salaam — EAST African businesses are for the first time set to receive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) awards during the World Economic Forum slated for next May in Dar es Salaam.

East Africa-based businesses will from February 15, 2010 start sending entries to compete for the awards on their socially responsible activities.

The award giving ceremony is set for the evening of May 5, 2010. The first ever East African CSR Awards secretariat has partnered with the East African Business Council (EABC) to coordinate the awards.

East African firms are eagerly looking forward to be honoured for their CSR activities and awarded for outstanding, innovative and high-class initiatives and programmes that create high social and environmental benefits to the community and businesses.

Entries will be accepted from businesses based in any of the five East African countries---Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda---or from external individuals who are recommending a CSR initiative of any East African registered company.

East African businesses are encouraged to enter into any of the following categories: Best workplace practice, Environmental excellence; Most ethical and responsible business practice for supply chains; as well as Most sustainable and scalable community investment.

As preliminary entry criteria, the entrant should be able to demonstrate to high levels of corporate governance in their business operations and board decisions.

Entries will be judged by an independent panel of international and regional CSR, corporate governance and ethical business experts, under the chairmanship of Elvis Musiba, former President, Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.

Other panel members are Dr William Kalema, Managing Director DCDM Uganda and former Chairman of the Ugandan Investment Authority, Ms Jane Nelson, Director of CSR Initiatives, Harvard Business School, Dr Judy Muthuri, CSR Lecturer, Nottingham University.

"These Awards mark a positive and promising trend in East Africa's private sector toward a more responsible and ethical business pathway, leading the region's sustainable economic growth", Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Chairman of Africapractice, the secretariat of East African CSR Awards said.