HÀ NỘI — Despite the COVID-19 pandemic delivering a profound shock to the economy and businesses, Saigon Beer – Alcohol – Beverage Corporation (SABECO) has still strengthened its commitments to sustainable development as well as bringing positive changes for Việt Nam and the people.
The pandemic has caused difficulties for trade activities, putting supply chains at risk of disruption and reduced incomes. In that context, sustainable development will be a "vaccine" for businesses to protect themselves. Firms pursuing this orientation often stand better and find opportunities to solve difficulties and ensure stable operations. They can also maintain the values they bring to society and contribute to the economy. SABECO is one of the enterprises that prides itself on these points.
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Bennett Neo, General Director of SABECO, said: “As a company with a long history in Việt Nam, SABECO has always been committed to contributing to the development and prosperity of Việt Nam and its people. We are committed to our role of being a responsible corporate citizen. And we show it through practical actions to ensure we prioritise the safety of all our employees. As Việt Nam faces an extremely difficult time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are willing, more than ever, to join hands and stand side by side with Việt Nam to fight this battle.”
During the current wave of COVID-19 infections, SABECO has spared no efforts to maintain its stable operation, according to the management. Its remarkable success is to ensure jobs for more than 8,500 employees across SABECO system and 12,000 employees in SABECO ecosystem despite the wide spread of the pandemic. Its programmes and activities during the pandemic for employees demonstrate its efforts in balancing between ensuring jobs and taking care of employees health and safety in their ecosystem in particular and the community in general. Business continuity plans (BCPs) have been activated throughout the system at the right time to ensure business operations and job stability.
Its factories and subsidiary, Saigon Beer Trading Company Limited (SATRACO) have set up plans to respond to possible situations with the goal of maintaining continuity in all activities to ensure its products’ quality and market stability.
The dispatching management team has closely monitored the market fluctuations in all regions to flexibly co-ordinate the supply in their factories’ system. Beer transporters are strengthened to closely monitor compliance with safety regulations against COVID-19.
All of SABECO’s systems have applied strict pandemic prevention measures since the first outbreak of COVID-19. This has helped it maintain stability even in the most difficult times during the pandemic. In addition, SABECO is well stocked with raw materials, ensuring its production.
At the same time, SABECO has given priority to buying goods from its partners to implement community support programmes.
As businesses are facing risks of disruption while carrying out COVID-19 prevention measures, SABECO’s efforts to ensure its stable operation has also helped its partners and customers in its production chain maintain jobs.
Thanks to the consistency in pursuing sustainability, SABECO still achieved an after-tax profit of more than VNĐ2 trillion in the first half of the year, representing 6 per cent year-on-year increase despite the tremendous difficulties.
It has also affirmed the corporate cultural value of always putting people at the centre of their concerns. Their employees’ health and safety are always a top priority. Accordingly, all of its staff are supported with essential items and given specific instructions on necessary actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. SABECO has strictly supervised and implemented measures to ensure employees’ health while maintaining stability for its warehouses and transportation networks.
The SABECO CARES programme was launched to protect frontline staff who are facing risks of infections from meeting with many customers.
Its factories are always ready for any situation to promptly respond to regulations and restrictions from authorities to minimise the risk of infection. The breweries have arranged the "3-on-site" model and to run it safely without a positive case at its factories. The model involves eating, sleeping, and working without leaving, aims to keep production going while ensuring COVID-19 control and prevention measures are met.
As the COVID-19 situation in Việt Nam has become increasingly complicated, SABECO is exploring ways to work with authorities to source COVID-19 vaccines for its employees as a part of the firm's efforts to contribute to the development of the country.
In addition to production and business achievements, SABECO is also constantly mentioned in a series of community activities. Last week, SABECO) has partnered with the Việt Nam Youth Federation to officially launch “Community Care”, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme to support healthcare frontliners for their tireless efforts as well as share their care to the affected communities in the fight against COVID-19.
More than 200 hopitals and frontline forces in high-risk areas of eight localities including HCM City, Bình Dương, Đồng Nai, Cần Thơ and Khánh Hòa as well as those isolated areas such as Tây Ninh, Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu and Sóc Trăng were given support. SABECO also delivered packages worth VNĐ400,000 each to 5,000 affected families in the quarantined zones.
Mr Neo added: “Together, we are facing a truly unprecedented situation and the COVID- 19 pandemic is affecting us, our families and everyone across the country. In addition to the immediate and grave health concerns, we are seeing increasing unease everywhere in our communities. Our thoughts and caring go out to everyone who has been impacted by the virus, directly or indirectly. As SABECO is a company with a long-standing history in Việt Nam, this is the period we need to come together and play our role to join the tremendous and ceaseless efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
“With the spirit of being stronger together, the “Community Care” programme aims to share the burden with our national frontline workers, in which SABECO is committed to stand side by side with Việt Nam and its people in the fight against COVID-19.”
Facing huge challenges, SABECO is still on track towards long-term sustainable development. A clear strategy, continuous efforts to ensure employees’ health and readiness to support the country in COVID-19 fight are expected to help SABECO stabilise and ready to accelerate to catch the recovery trend and maintain its leading position in the beer industry. — VNS