1. No category

Inspired
to be
sustained
We regard Sustainability as a core
business principle. Our strategies
and actions are in line with our
commitment
to
sustainable
development built on economic
progress, social development and
environmental improvement.
Etisalat Lanka (Private)
Limited
Report on Sustainability:
2011/2012
Etisalat Lanka: Living Sustainability i
These
award
winning
contributions to our society are
clear evidence of our belief of
social responsibility as a core
business principle.
Our corporate vision further
captures a far-reaching ambition
to support sustainable living, i.e , “
a world where people's reach is
not limited by matter or distance”.
Etisalat Lanka, being a mobile
telecommunication
service
provider,
has
a
unique
opportunity to transform societies
by
bringing
innovative
and
inspiring services to the people of
Sri Lanka.
Our innovative solutions in mobile
Broadband are already making a
difference to people’s lives. The ebooks store ( the first of its kind in
Sri
Lanka),
“Web-Patashala”
program Android Village Hubs
and App-Zone, are to quote just a
few examples , that have one
inspiring story in common : being
responsible in improving the
society at large.
Etisalat Lanka had been growing
by 20% annually, during the last
three years within an operating
framework where policy and
strategy
is
focused
on
sustainability.
With the commitment of everyone
at Etisalat Lanka, I’m confident
that we can bring sustainable
living a step closer, through
mobile technology.
I look forward to updating you on
our progress next year.
………………………………………….
Dumindra Rathnayaka
Director/CEO
Etisalat Lanka ( Private ) Limited
Links to the applications mentioned above :
http://www.thebookhub.lk,
http://etisalat.lk/Sinhala/webpatashala.,
http://etisalat.lk/VASappZone/
http://fusionavh.blogspot.com
Page | 1
The Etisalat Group:
Driven
to be inspiring
“Celltel” inaugurated its operations in 1989, as the first
mobile operator in South Asia. It was acquired by the
Etisalat Group in 2009, and we have been operating using
the “Etisalat” brand from 2010ii.
In recent years Etisalat Group, which is based in the UAE
has extended its footprint in Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the
Middle East and further into Asian markets such as Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Africa and Sri Lanka. The company records
over 130 million subscribers across 15 countries. The group’s
revenue crossed Rs. 1000 billion mark, with a conversion
ratio of 45% in to its operating profits.
Etisalat Group is a participant in the United Nations Global
Compact (UNGC) and is
committed to implement
social
responsibility
strategies based on the
globally
respected
ISO
26000 framework.
The employee policies and practices of Etisalat group are
modeled on the standards of the International Labor
Organization, while the group’s marketing function follows
the principles laid down by the international best practice
and codes of conduct from recognized bodies. A number of
companies in the Etisalat group have obtained the ISO
14001, ISO 18001, ISO 9001, ISO 22000 and ISO 27000
certification.
Etisalat Lanka is a privately limited company, fully owned by
Emirates Telecommunications Corporation, also known as
Etisalat.
Page | 2
The Etisalat Group
Emirates Telecommunications Corporation: Etisalat is 60%
owned by the UAE Federal Government through the
Emirates Investment Authority (EIA), and the remaining
40% is floated on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange.
Etisalat UAE, provides wireless telecommunications services
in, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Afghanistan,
Benin,
Central
African Republic, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Niger, Nigeria, Togo
and
in
Sri
Lanka,
while
providing
fixed-line
telecommunications services in Sudan. Etisalat provides
both wireless and fixed-line telecommunications services in
UAE, Pakistan and in Tanzania, covering 130 million
subscribers worldwide.iii
The Etisalat Group also owns several non-core business units
which provide critical services both to the group and other
organizations. These are managed under Etisalat Services
Holding., covering the areas of its operations in E-Marine, EFacilities Management, E-Real Estate, Etisalat Academy, EDate Clearing House, Ebtikar, and Etisalat Information
Services.
The group provides telecommunications, connectivity and
ICT services to all members of the community, including
individuals,
businesses,
governments
and
other
telecommunications companies, ISPs and ICT companies.
The Etisalat Group counts over 50,000 employees within its
footprint of 15 countries. It achieved net revenues of $8.7bn
in 2011.Its market capitalization is approximately $20bn.
Etisalat provides over 500 products, world-wideiv.
Etisalat Group has a selective
policy with regards to
entering
awards.
The
following
have
been
presented in 2011/2012.
GSMA Global Mobile Awards: The
Best Mobile Product or Service for
Women in Emerging Markets and the
Best Mobile Health Innovation.
Etisalat Group also won the “World Communications Award
-2012 ” for the Mobile Baby m-Health initiative
amongst stiff competition from global
telecommunications players.
The World Communication Awards recognize
the companies and individuals responsible for
the innovations, achievements and great new
services that are helping to build tomorrows industry. The
Page | 3
awards focus on the big issues, while encouraging more
entries from communications providers across the globe,
both large and small, to ensure the awards can truly claim
'world' status.
International Business Awards:
Executive of the
Year Telecommunications ,Most Innovative Company of the
Year in the Middle East and Africa ,Best New Product or
Service of the Year Health ,
Corporate
Social
Responsibility Program of the Year
Arabia CSR Awards: First Runner-Up in NGO-partnersv.
Capacity awards 2012: The best middle-east
wholesale operator 2012, for the fifth consecutive
year. This is an annual award.
Etisalat Lanka ( Private) Limited
Our Vision : is a world where people's reach is not limited
by matter or distance.
People will effortlessly move around the world, staying in
touch with family, making new friends as they go, as well as
developing new interests.
Businesses of all sizes, no longer limited by distance, will be
able to reach new markets.
Innovative technologies will open up fresh opportunities
across the globe, allowing the supply of new goods and
services to everyone who wants them.
Our Mission : To extend people's reach.
At Etisalat
Lanka, we are actively developing advanced networks that
will enable people to develop, to learn and to grow.
Page | 4
Page | 5
Our Values
Energy : We value and nurture the energy and dynamism
needed to achieve the very best in business. We look forward
to future challenges and opportunities.
Openness : As a company, we are welcoming, sociable and
friendly to customers, suppliers and employees. We deal with
people in a clear, direct way and are always honest and fair in
business dealings.
Enablement : Our aim is to open up opportunities and to
actively help people reach their goals. We always deliver
what we say we will.
Our Brand slogan
At Etisalat Lanka we have focused on providing an array of
inspiring services to match the hearts of our customers. This
is why we have chosen the brand slogan: “it is about you”.
Our Strengths
The superior performance of Etisalat Lanka is evidence by its
continuous growth in value share in the intensely
competitive market, with a recorded 20% year-on-year
growth, over the last three year.
The consistent growth has enabled the company to invest
strategically in most modern technologies to extend its
inspiring offers to the all communities.
The greatest asset of the company is the “Etisalat Family”,
our loyal internal and external partners who always stand by
the company values, both in success and through challenges.
Page | 6
Etisalat Lanka launched
its first Flagship Store in
2012, Located at 109,
Galle Road, Colombo
03.
The Store will serve as a
one-stop shop where
customers can
experience new
products and receive
Etisalat’s renowned
customer service.
Page | 7
We offer a variety of mobile voice and data services to
individuals and corporates. This includes the fastest mobile
data services in Sri Lanka which use the latest HSPA+
technologies.vi
Etisalat Lanka is independently audited and its financial
reporting is fully complied with IFRS.
The main office of operations is at no 109, Rotunda gardens,
Colombo 3, Sri Lanka.
The Business Alignment Survey is carried out independently
in Etisalat Lanka and a feedback is shared with the
management team, every year paving the way to the HR
excellence. In addition, all permanent the employees are
given the opportunity to take part in two independent
employee opinion surveys annually.
We are working with distributors across the country offering
re-load and scratch cards.
The sales of connections are through a dedicated partner
network of exclusive dealers and a direct distribution
channel, jointly connecting new customers with the network
every monthvii.
Our IT systems are built on state-of-the-art technologies that
allow business units to leverage robust, innovative and
leading-edge ICT Solutions in the country while maintaining
its reputation for technology excellence.
Etisalat Sri Lanka was the first telecommunication company
in Sri Lanka to adopt Enterprise Virtualization during 2009,
Storage consolidation in 2010 and mobile worker concept
using unified communication technology which helps
employees to work from anywhere, anytime using any
device. Etisalat also focus towards Cloud infrastructure
together with Mobility and Green IT.
Etisalat Lanka had won several awards for its effectiveness in
marketing communications during the reporting period.
The Company won
the most number of
awards at Effie’s
2012 by winning
two Silvers and
three bronze.
Page | 8
In Effie’s 2011 Etisalat Lanka won a “Silver”
for its 3G launch campaign.
At “Brand excellence awards 2011”, Etisalat
Lanka won the Silver award for the Best
New Entrant category for its 3G Launch and
in 2012 , Etisalat Lanka was awarded as the
Silver for its broadband launch in the same
category.
The AppZone, the mobile application development platform,
introduced by Etisalat Lanka, won a m-billionth award in
2011 . The m-billionth awards
are held to honor the
achievements of those who
drive
to
take
mobile
technology forward in the
South Asian region.
Page | 9
SUSTAINABILITY INTEGRATION: Reporting on
Sustainability
The following section is an account of Etisalat Lanka’s sustainability
performance for the period 1st April 2011 to 31st March 2012.
This is our “first time” and a stand-alone report on Sustainability.
This report of our sustainability performance has been submitted to the Global Reporting Initiative for
Checking and we hope to achieve B-Level accreditation. The checking certification will be attached to this
report once received. The first time report is not externally assured.
The sustainability performance is reported with a view to providing information to all stakeholders with
regard to the critical and material areas identified through comprehensive and systematic stakeholder
engagements. Prioritization of the topics covered under this report was based on the said stakeholder
engagements, its outcomes as detailed in the sections "Key sustainability topics identified", and "Mapping
of stakeholder concerns to sustainability aspects".
Etisalat Lanka reports 23 GRI Performance Indicators. This has enabled the company to enhance its
coverage of its economic, environmental and social performance during the year under review.
The process for determining materiality is fully described in the section of this report titled "Stakeholder
engagement process" this report includes our investors, employees, customers, governments, legal and
regulatory bodies and society at large and is further detailed in the section "Engagement of significant
stakeholders".
Sustainability Reporting helps Balance in Organizational performance at Etisalat Lanka. Following is a
summary of areas covered in this report and the tools used in adressing each subject of organizational
performance, in order to give the readers a comprehensive guide in to the report’s objectives.
Table 1 : The subjects for discussion , in a broader view
Subject
Tool Used
Report Section
Organization activities and Structure
Sustainability Report
Section 1
Decision Making
Shareholder Engagement
Section 2
Time and Space : Project Management
Strategic CSR
Section 3
Page | 10
Section 1: Sustainability Report
Page | 11
Sustainability Policy and
Framework
Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainability and
Corporate Governance
framework: The
Philosophy
The telecoms sector has huge
power and influence. It touches
almost all in society; through
mobile
phones
or
mobile
broadband , or , both. Etisalat
Lanka
recognizes
this
unique
opportunity and act as a company
in sustainable and ethical manner
to uphold the highest international
standards in all aspects of its
operation.
the need to keep these audiences
informed of the latest progress.
The Company is committed to
determine
the
environmental
impact of its operations, services
and products whilst driving its
supply
chain
partners
and
customers, where relevant.
The Company encourages open
communication
about
its
environmental and social practices
in
addition
to
its
economic
performance.
The Company strives to be an
In line with the strategy of its
holding company, Etisalat Lanka
appreciates the growing and critical
importance
it holds with key stakeholders, and
of
CSR
and
Sustainability and the significance
employer of choice by providing a
safe,
secure
and
discriminatory
environment
nonworking
for
its
employees
whose rights are fully safeguarded
and
who
can
have
equal
Page | 12
opportunity to realize their full
The Chairman of Etisalat Lanka
potential.
board is a non-executive position.
The board and the Audit committee
Etisalat
Lanka’s
corporate
approach
governance
aims
to
(which is a subcommittee of the
to
board), meets regularly.
achieve superior and sustainable
financial performance and long
term
prosperity
while
meeting
stakeholder's expectations.
Informing
and
consulting
employees about the working
relationships and the company
performances,
happens
every
month, on the 1st Tuesday after the
The Board of Directors of Etisalat
Lanka is particularly conscious of
the need for transparency and the
establishment of a tone within the
corporation
for
compliant business
The
company
ethical
and
viii.
ensures
month. This forum is attended by
130 middle management staff of
the
company
approximately.
every
The
month,
CEO/CXOs
and the senior management team
good
relationships with all communities
of which we are a part.
10th calendar day of the each
take part in these sessions where a
third party resource person is also
invited to do a knowledge building
session for the managers in this
session on a current/relevant topic.
Page | 13
●
●
●
Etisalat being a mobile
telecommunication
company, has a unique
opportunity to
transform societies by
bringing innovative
and inspiring services
to the entire nation.
●
●
Page | 14
●
The framework
The sustainability reporting framework is developed to address three main
subjects that the company is committed to discuss in a transparent manner. The
tools selected for addressing each subject is also agreed upon, for the reporting
period.
Table 2 : The subjects for discussion , in a broader view
Subject
Tool Used
Organization activities and Structure
Sustainability Report
Decision Making related to Sustainability
Shareholder Engagement
Time and Space : Project Management
Strategic CSR
The framework was extended further incorporating the reporting standards that
we wanted to adhere to. Following is our mapping of the subjects, tools and
reporting standards.
Chart 1 : The reporting framework , in a broader view
Page | 15
The framework was then mapped to the overall strategy to extend the scope to the
sustainability aspects.
Chart 2 : The sustainability Strategy
Etisalat Group
Level
Emirates
Telecommunications
Corporation: Sustainability
Working Group
Enterprise Risk, Strategy,
Regulatory, HR, Brand,
Engineering, IT,
Procurement, Commercial,
Innovation, Finance, Corp
Communications divisions
Etisalat Lanka CSR
Committee
Etisalat Lanka
Sustainability Framework: The Philosophy
Sustainability Strategy
Stakeholder Identification
Defining performance Targets
Sustainability Policy
Monitoring and Reviewing
(Internal + External)
Promoting best practices
Risk assessments
Sustainability Aspects
Economic
Environment
Labor &
Human
rights
Health
and
Safety
Service
Responsibility
Social
Responsibility
Page | 16
Sustainability strategy
The development
o
The establishment of a CSR
network across the Group in
May 2012.
o
A CSR management (C-Level)
survey conducted by Boston
Consulting Group (BCG) in April
2011 .The survey saw good
participation
from
Senior
Management at Group and at
operational levels in various
countries it operates , providing
invaluable insights to date and
requirements going forward.
78% of respondents placed
sustainability related strategies
as necessary to be competitive
and
stated
that
it
is
permanently on management’s
agenda. Nearly half observed
that the company’s business
model had already changed due
to sustainability. The group HR,
IT,
Finance,
Strategy,
Procurement and Business
Development are also already
actively engaged within the
company’s
CSR
network.
Management
is
currently
reviewing plans for overall CSR
and Sustainability framework
moving forward for all its
operations in 17 countries.
o
Etisalat Group has joined
relevant international initiatives
(such as the UN Global
Compact, Global Reporting
Initiative etc.) and support
locally relevant initiatives.
o
Following its first CSR summit in
May, Etisalat Group announced
it aims to adopt the
international standards of GRI
and ISO26000 across its Middle
East, Africa and Asia operations
before 2013. The company’s
The Etisalat Group’s, and Etisalat Sri
Lanka’s sustainability and social
responsibility
strategy
has
transformed in 2011/2012. In the
pre-2005 era Etisalat Group was a
mono-market operator with some
strategic international investments
who was focusing on limited
philanthropic
activities
and
donations in the UAE. By 2011 ,
Etisalat was group of 16 operations
and the need to coordinate and
maximize synergies was identified.
The group has recently started
pursuing important initiatives as a
collective entity to help reduce the
environmental impact of our
business and that of our customers
by increasing connectivity to those
markets that need it most; and in
providing
value
added
and
community-enriching services such
as
education
and
waste
management.
In 2012 the Etisalat Group has taken
several commitments to ensure that
these efforts are both better
reported and coordinated across its
operations. These include the
Group’s pledge to the United
Nations Global Compact and the
commitment to implement social
responsibility strategies based on
the globally respected ISO 26000
frameworks. We have gone through
following activities so far :
Page | 17
recently
established
CSR
network has already received
several trainings on these tools
from external consultants –Hill
+Knowlton and the Academy of
Responsible Management – and
discussed
in
detail
the
materiality principles to be
followed for GRI.
o
Etisalat also received ISO14001
in the UAE in recognition of its
efforts to reduce its carbon
footprint.
The Group believes that the centrally
driven initiatives during the first few
years would be necessary, which would
later be cascaded and standardized
across its footprint.
have enabled the Group to drive
sustainability on an enterprise-wide
scale which is expected to result in
increased stakeholder value, through
business process improvements, better
risk management, new business
opportunities, innovation, corporate
governance and overall corporate
responsibility.
The company and the group intends to
introduce specialized systems and
processes during the next year in order
to ensure the tracking, reporting and
monitoring of such indicators, enabling
better
management
information
through the measurement of usage and
performance metrics, which is expected
to drive strategy, resulting in focused
policy frameworks and directed plans of
action.
The structure, frameworks, processes
that have been implemented this year
Page | 18
Sustainability Indicators: The first time reportingix
Table 3: The indictors with GRI references
Indicator
EC6
EN3
EN8
EN11
EN16
EN21
EN23
En28
LA4
LA7
LA8
LA12
HR6
HR7
SO1
SO2
S08
PR3
PR6
PR9
2009/10
Economic Perfomance
Percentage Purchases From Suppliers within Srilanka
Environmental impact
Direct Energy Consumption (GJ)
Water Withdrawal (m3)
Sites near /in high bio diversity areas
Carbon Foot Print (MT)
Water Discharge (m3)
Volume of Significant spills(m3)
Significant Environmental Fines*
Labour Practices and Decent work
Percentage Covered by collective bargaining
Number of Injuries
Injury Rate (number of Injuries per 100 employees)
Lost Day Rate ( lost days as a percentage of total person days)
No of people educated on serious diseases
No of permenent employees receiving performance reviews
Human Rights
Incidences of Child Labour (below Age of 16)
Incidences of young workers ( aged 16 to 18)
Incidents of Forced labour During the year
Society
Community Engagement ( no of persons "directly" impacted)
Percentage of business Analysed for risk of corruption
Significat Fines for Violation of Laws / Regulations*
Product Responsibility
Percentage of campaigns that carry relevant information
Voluntary Standards relating to advertising
Significant Fines for product / Service issues* (Rs. in millions)
2010/11
2011/12
Not Tracked Not Tracked
67%
Not Tracked Not Tracked
621
655
NIL
NIL
Not Tracked Not Tracked
NIL
NIL
Not Tracked Not Tracked
152,440
695
NIL
17,826
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
0%
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
100%
0%
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
100%
0%
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
100%
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
NIL
100%
NIL
4,800
100%
NIL
Not Tracked Not Tracked
yes
yes
NIL
NIL
100%
Yes
NIL
100%
NIL
Page | 19
Section 2: Stakeholder Engagement
Page | 20
Management Approach for Disclosure: Part 1: Stakeholder engagement
The approach: Literature review
Mitchell et al., suggested that stakeholders can be classified according to whether they have, or
perceived to have one, two, or all three of the following attributes: Power to influence,
Legitimacy of their claim and Urgency of their claim. Stakeholder power exists where one
stakeholder can get another to do something that would not have otherwise done. Stakeholder
legitimacy represents the belief that the actions of a stakeholder or stakeholder group are
desirable or appropriate within the company’s accepted norms and values. Stakeholder
urgency includes both criticality and time urgency, with a stakeholder claim considered to be
urgent both when it is critical and/or when a response delay is unacceptable. Stakeholder
salience represents different combinations of the power, legitimacy and urgency attributes and
provides the basis for the typology of stakeholders described in the following table.
Chart 3 : The stakeholder classification x
Source : R Mitchell, B Agle and D Wood, 1997), towards a theory of stakeholder identification:
defining the
principle of who and what really counts. Academy of Management Review, 22(4) ) Reporting Principles: Materiality
Page | 21
In our context of social and environmental reporting however, the issue of materiality is
most often guided by considerations of stakeholder concern rather than professional
judgment as in financial reports. We have not simply depended on the size of the item
(as it does in financial reporting!) but on its relevance to stakeholders.
This opened up the very real prospect of variations in views on material issues across our
various business segment, regions of the country we operate in, cultures and stakeholder
groups.
Reporting Principles: Boundary:xi This refers to the range of entities for which we gather
information. The boundary for a sustainability report is linked to the range of entities for
which we are likely to be held accountable for, and whose actions will influence the
decisions of stakeholders regarding Etisalat.
o Distinct from financial reporting, we consider our boundary from the wider
perspective of its value chain (more stakeholders), and the new responsibilities
provided by the triple bottom line Principle.
Based on this ideology, Etisalat Lanka has divided its key stakeholders in to five broad
categories,
namely,
customers,
Telecom
regulator,
employees
and
families,
investors/shareholders and the other government institutions.
Page | 22
The materiality test guidelines used in the identification process is shown below.
Chart 4 : The materiality identification xii
The issues with high influence on stakeholder assessments and decisions, and high significance
on economic and environment and social impact, were assigned high priority for reporting.
The decision to comply with ISO 26000 was a salient feature in our strategy. The broad
understanding on the standard and its principles influenced the reporting strategy to a greater
extent.
Page | 23
Chart 5 : Etisalat Group : ISO 26000 strategy Framework
The framework was adapted as it is;
Accepted around the world, especially in the countries in which we operate
It is uncertified, which allows for local knowledge and experience to be incorporated
alongside international best practice
Is aligned with other programs such as GRI and UNGC
In line with this framework the company is focused on developing its IT systems for data
automation, the sustainability web Portal, case studies and videos of success stories,
government and investor roadshows, marketing communications and campaign and donation
drives..
Page | 24
Following is the stakeholder groups focused on, in the first time reporting.
Chart 5 : Etisalat Lanka: ISO 26000 strategy Frameworkxiii
Page | 25
Mapping of sustainability aspects to GRI Sustainability Performance Indicators
Table 4 : The indictors with GRI references
GRI standard
Indicator
GRI standard disclosure
reference
Local Purchasing
Indirect Economic Impacts
Energy
Proximity to Biologically Diverse Areas
Effluents
Water
Carbon Footprint
Significant Spills
Environmental Compliance
Labour /Management Relations
Diversity and Equal Opportunity
Occupational Health and Safety
Anti-corruption
Compliance
EC6
EC8
EN3
EN11
EN21
EN8
EN16
EN23
EN28
LA4
LA12
LA7, LA8
SO2
SO8
Prevention of Child Labour
Prevention of Forced and Compulsory Labour
HR6
HR7
Product Labeling
Responsible Advertising
PR3
PR6
Product Compliance
PR9
Local Community
SO1
disclosure
category
Economic
Environment
Employees
Health and Safety
Ethical Business
and
Human Rights
Product
Responsibility
Social
Responsibility
Page | 26
Etisalat Sri Lanka is the first Mobile
Network service provider in South
Asia to offer Dual Carrier HSPA+
technology.
With this Etisalat is the fastest
internet connectivity capable of very
fast access, mobile TV applications,
video streaming and video calls.
Etisalat providing the best technology
to explore the world Wide Web, also
offers “Net Nanny” in local language,
at affordable prices (with 80%
discount on the on-line purchase
price!) - one of the best Parental
Control Software aimed at protecting
younger users from online content
along with smart Internet offers,
Accessories and expert customer
support.
63rd mobile operator world- wide:
Etisalat Lanka is the 63rd network in
the world and the 1st in South Asia to
introduce Dual Carrier HSPA+ enable
technology
The new introduction takes Sri
Lanka a leap forward in the mobile
broadband industry.
Page | 27
Management Approach for Disclosure Part 2 - Key impacts, risks and
opportunities)
Based on the findings of the stakeholder engagement specified in the section "Stakeholder
Engagement ", the material impacts on stakeholders were identified within the areas of
economic performance, environment and societal impact.
23 GRI indicators have thus been selected for reporting this year, providing a broader
description of the significant impacts of the organization on key sustainability areas.
We believe that this reflects our commitment to continuously enhance and report on its
sustainability impact to our stakeholders.
Page | 28
The picture here is of Etisalat Group’s Chief Executive officer
Mr. Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, addressing the High Potential
employee’s networking event, emphasizing that the fast
learning would be the only sustainable advantage over the
competition.
There were two High-Potential employee’s selected from
Etisalat Lanka for the forum.
Page | 29
Section 3: Strategic CSR
Page | 30
3.1 Economic responsibility
Etisalat is committed to supporting the local communities in which it operates, specifically in
sourcing and distributing through local enterprises where practicable. In Sri Lanka, the majority
(67%) of our purchases for business operations, including the network expansion projects, are
through local enterprises which are helping to increase the employment, occupational
development advancement of nationals in the country.
We are also heavily involved in the local communities and have invested a significant amount of
money in ICT infrastructure developments during the reporting period .
Case Study 1.3.1. Etisalat App Zone: Promoting entrepreneurship among the youth in Sri Lanka
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3.2 Environmental Responsibility
Etisalat Lanka supports a “precautionary approach” to environmental challenges and
proactively undertakes initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility. The
company also encourages development of environmentally friendly technologies.
As part of our strategy, we are continuously working to identify potential adverse impacts on
biodiversity and ecosystem services and take measures to eliminate or minimize those impacts.
Where feasible and appropriate, we participate in market mechanisms to internalize the cost of
its environmental impacts and create economic value in protecting ecosystem services and give
highest priority to avoiding the loss of natural ecosystems second to restoring ecosystems and
finally, if the former two are not possible or fully effective, to compensate for losses through
actions that will lead to a net gain in ecosystem services over time.
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At Etisalat Lanka we especially take measures to preserve any endemic, threatened or
endangered species or habitat that may be adversely effected and implement planning, design
and operating practices as a way to minimize the possible environmental impacts.
Case Study: 3.2 “Soduru Diriya”: The recycled bags from used hording materials: Hambanthota
With the objective of empowering women
to live a better livelihood , a project
launched to recycle Marketing waste. The
objective was not only to recycling
marketing waste but also an opportunity to
uplift the lives of rural housewife's. With
Etisalat's throw away marketing materials,
provided the opportunity for rural house
wives to turn out handy environmentally friendly
grocery bags. These bags will be produced by these
rural village housewives, in turn giving them a
source of income to uplift their quality of living. The
bags are sold at a nominal price and part of the
income is reimbursed to the housewives.
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3.3 Human Rights
The Etisalat Group and Etisalat Lanka supports and respect the protection of internationally
proclaimed human rights including the freedom of association and effective right to collective
bargaining where legally permitted. In its local markets, Etisalat facilitates access to and where
possible, provides support and facilities for education and lifelong learning for community
members. We also join our efforts with other organisations and government institutions
supporting respect for and realization of economic, social and cultural rights.
We are endeavouring and exploring various ways that we can contribute to the fulfillment of
these rights and to adapt our products and services to help bridge the digital divide. Etisalat
Lanka is the pioneer in launching a tri-lingual web-site, eliminating the language barriers.
(http://www.etisalat.lk/)
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Furthermore, Etisalat Lanka has enlightened the lives of many , by meeting the community
needs by facilitating their desired language.
Case Study: 3.3 : The SETT browser for people who are literate only in Sinhalese language
SETT browser: Sinhala/Tamil web browser: SETT Sinhala/Tamil (Sri Lanka/India) web browser
is the Only Sinhala/Tamil enabled web browser for Android. Even though a particular Android
devise
does
not
support
Sinhala/Tamil languages, the users
still can read any Sinhala/Tamil
web content with SETT. Etisalat
Lanka played a pioneering role in
introducing the application with a
view of providing equal opportunities to the people who know only Sinhala language. SETT
comes with an innovative and revolutionary rendering engine which renders Sinhala/Tamil
using Unicode web fonts.
Case Study: 3.3 Android Village Hubs : The pilot project at Kanthale
To help advance economic and social development in Sri Lanka’s rural communities, Etisalat
Lanka has provided safe accessto modern technology by providing Tablet computers with free
data connectivity.
This has contributed to the develpopment of these communities by difusing specialised skills
and technology in such a way to promote human resource development in the remote areas of
Sri Lanka.
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Etisalat Lanka appreciates that access to information is key to overoming the disparities that
exist between the countries, regions, generations, genders, etc.
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3.4 Labour
The Etisalat Group is also keen to ensure that it has a strong talent pool of professional talent to
help fuel its growth, and in 2012 over
80 of the group’s best cadre, including
the Sri Lankavteam, began the second
year of group Talent Management’s
High Potential Program (“Hi-Po” for
short). This provides our future
leaders in Sri Lanka with significant
learning resources from organisations
such as Harvard and Duke University.
Shown above is a picture of a Sri Lankan participant who won the business strategy formation
case study awards in 2012, in the Hi-Po Programme. The particiapants from Sri Lanka had
shown siginificant career progress from the start of the programme in 2009. They are setting
expectations for the others among the Sri Lankan team that the Hi-Performances are rewarded.
3.5 Society
Etisalat Lanka promotes and supports education at all levels and engage in actions to improve
the quality of and access to education, promote local knowledge and help eradicate illiteracy ,In
particular promote learing opportunities for vulnerable or discriminated groups , and in
Encouraging the enrolment of children in formal education and contribute to the elimination of
barriers to children obtaining an education.
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Case Study 3.5. Promoting safe and meaningful internet among the young generation of Sri
Lanka : The book hub
Sri Lanka's First Ever eBook Store : e-Book readers and e-Book
stores have become a global phenomenon, but their benefits have
excluded Sri Lankan readers, writers and publishers. The book-Hub
of Etisalat Lanka, is expected to change the way that people read,
purchase and publish local material, making it in our opinion one of
the most innovative locally developed Internet based products. We have also chosen to make
this product available to everybody by making the product operator independent, making it
accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world, so that Sri Lankan content can finally have a
global audience.
Net –Nanny in our own local language at affordable prices : With the view of promoting safe
internet , in order to illuminate the fear of
using internet among the parents in the
county, Etisalat Lanka took the initiative to
introduce parental control software in Local language. More importantly, it is also offered at an
affordable price, which is discounted by almost 80% compared to the on-line purchase price.
Such a service is not available with any other operator in the island.
The Etisalat Group fully appreciates the concerns of families about the use of the Internet and is
working with global organizations such as the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) and the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to support the efforts of its local operations.
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Web- Patashala : Etisalat Lanka launched “Web Patashala,” aiming to change the face of
education in Sri Lanka, by bringing electronic learning (e-Learning) to the student populace. The
project is initiated in collaboration with the State Trading corporation and the Ministry of
Education, with a view of proving e-learning opportunities to the younger generation of the
county.
Etisalat Knowledge Centers – Etisalat Lanka’s vision of enabling students the access to
knowledge came to light through the substantial donation of a fully equipped library and
education equipment including a large volume of books, TV, DVD player and a projector.
Etisalat Lanka’s CSR drive was to provide opportunities for students to 'access today's world
through education'. This initiative selected some of the most deserving and deprived schools to
set up Etisalat's Knowledge Centre. Most of the reading materials available are relevant to the
student's everyday academic lessons, thereby aiding them with the proper required knowledge
to be well informed in these respective areas. Eight Etisalat Knowledge Centers were set up
across the country.
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Etisalat Lanka Promote cultural activities where appropriate, recognize and value the local
cultures and cultural traditions, consistent with the principle of respect for human rights.
Actions to support cultural activities that empower historically disadvantaged groups are
especially important as a means of combating discrimination.
Brave Hearts Project - We salute our war heroes for the sacrifice made for a better tomorrow.
A CSR sponsorship of a musical show called "Tharu dilena rayak" which was performed by
disabled War Heroes. The proceeds of the show were donated to the building of cottages in
Anuradhapura for these disable War Heroes to live in. With the sponsorship of the show,
Etisalat Lanka also donated Rs 3.5 Million to build one cottage. This cottage called the
abimansala was built up in Anuradhapura.
Flood relief : As part of Etisalat Lanka’s ongoing CSR activities, the most recent campaign
reached out to provide assistance to flood victims, through disaster management centers. The
campaign selected 4 badly affected districts, namely Anuradhapura, Pollonnaruwa, Badulla and
Akkaraipaththu, donating aid and dry rations to help them overcome the devastation caused by
the floods. A total of 2000 parcels containing essentials worth 1000 Rupees each, such as sugar,
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tea, milk powder, dhal, rice, salmon, tooth pastes and tooth brushes were distributed to 2000
families in the districts, giving them a chance to eat healthily and strive for a better life.
Etisalat Lanka informed and involved customers in this noble cause, who contributed money
through confirmed contribution via SMS. Etisalat Lanka too added its contribution enabling the
success of the project. Teams from Etisalat Lanka together with district disaster management
coordinators personally visited the homes of the families and delivered the parcels. They were
warmly received by all the families in all 4 districts.
AIDs awareness sessions among the employees: Etisalat Lanka started joining hands with
Lanka Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS,
in promoting the awareness of AIDS
prevention among its employees since
2010.
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3.6 Product responsibility
Sustainable products and network: The proven way to success:
Etisalat Lanka had been practicing actions leading to sustainability for more than a decade.
As the driving force behind the success in creating a sustainable culture within our teams at
engineering and IT, the CTO , Mr. Sanath Pilapitiya, got below to say
as his reasoning behind these actions.
“Economic : We have looked at ways of reducing cost, make the
assets
full
utilized,
lesser
resources
are
deployed
in
storage/warehousing.
Ecology: The need to minimize carbon emission by shutting down air conditioners and introduce
fans, installing outdoor type base stations that does not need air conditioning, minimize the
generator run time by installing high capacity battery and managing the start of generators and
further testing the Solar and wind possibilities for power.
Service: Sustainability lead to develop employees on knowledge, skills and attitude to
understand the business better and align with latest technology and drive motivation to
innovations and making the working environment humorous filled with more fun for the
employees to work and fulfill the tasks with less effort.”
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Following are some of the key initiatives implements during the period.
We share the sites/base stations on cost based structure minimizing the consumption of
natural resources .
All our towers were built with environmental regulation compliance, with the required
government approvals.
Our services are introduced at the right time and the hardware guaranteed to last for
the next 10 years without becoming obsolete making no wastage.
The responsiveness to the customers’ needs is a very important and to entertain we
have deployed 24hrs hotline.
Our robust network availability measure on international standards is at 99.9% level ,
consistently.
Few other projects undertaken during the reporting period in ensuring our responsibility in
product delivery are ;
Solar System at Kelaniya Etisalat Radio Base station : This is a pilot project and with the
feedback on the success , plans are underway to roll out more base stations.
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Wind Power Pilot projects:
As a pilot project, we have installed 3kW wind
systems in Kataragama, Haputale, Keppetipola
and Dickwella from 2008. Currently, the
commercial viability of the project is been
evaluated.
Following are specific projects driven by our teams including engineering, commercial, IT and
Finance teams with the view of ensuring sustainability.
1. Outdoor Base Stations for AC savings, instead of having the stations inside the
cabin and installing A/C units.
2. Inverter Type Air Conditioners for Radio Base Stations (Pilot project) – Olcotte
Mawatha/Panadura Town for power savings
3. IN-DOOR B/S with fans for power savings
4. Dynamic power saving: Switching off power automatically when the tower is not
in use.
5. Solar tower lights in most of our sites
6. High capacity battery to minimize generator utilization
7. Hybrid cars for network operations teams replacing traditional petrol /diesel
vehicles
8. Replacing the legacy switch and implement NGN with low power consumption
9. Server virtualization to reduce the number of servers
10. Move towards laptops (low power compared to desk tops)
11. Majority of business reports on the web – no printed reports
12. Facilitate remote working (with broadband connections), on line banking
systems etc.
13. Movable COWs ( cow: cell –on-wheels) Tower gives same function as GF tower at
low resource consumption
14. E bills for customers – reduced paper!
15. Bank transfer of payments to eliminate paper and courier services
16. Promoting reload, eliminate printed scratch cards sales process on android app,
eliminating paper copy.
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At Etisalat, we are Inspired to be
Sustained, for a better tomorrow
It is about you
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Any clarifications regarding sustainability may be obtained from:
Corporate Communications division of Etisalat Lanka (Private) Limited, 109, Galle
Road , Colombo 3, Sri Lanka
Email: sustainability@etisalate.lk
Website: www.etisalat.lk/sustainability
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i
Strategy & Analysis Section 1.1 and 1.2
Organsational Profile Section 2.1
iii
Organsational Profile Section 2.5
iv
Organsational Profile Section 2.8
v
Organsational Profile Section 2.10
vi
Organsational Profile Section 2.2
vii
Organsational Profile Section 2.3
ii
viii
Governance 4.1
x
Stakeholder engagement 4.1.5
Report Profile 3.6 and 3.7 . 3.8 ,3.10, 3.11
xii
Report profile 3.5
xiii
Stakeholder engagement 4.1.4
xi
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