United Nations honors SMART Communications for pro-poor initiatives

The Philippines' Smart Communications has been honored by the United Nations for giving the poor access to communication and micro-enterprise opportunities.
The U-N Information Center in Manila said Smart was among 10 private companies given the World Business and Development Awards (WBDA) for their work in improving the lives of the world's most disadvantaged people, "proving that making a profit and 'doing the right thing' are not mutually exclusive."
Held under the patronage of Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan and Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, the award ceremony is part of the special focus on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) during the opening week of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Established by the International Chamber of Commerce in 2000 , the WBDA recognizes the contribution of the private sector to achieve the MDGs through their core business. An unprecedented 104 applications from 44 countries were received for this year's awards.
The WBDA showcases creative initiatives by corporations, large and small, who apply their core business expertise to world- wide efforts to achieve the MDGs. Its sponsors include the UN Development Programme, the world body's global development network which supports national partners to address development challenges and achieve the MDGs.
According to the statement, this year's winners included projects that provide Nigerian farmers with commercial finance and technical assistance to produce higher quality crops, expand electricity to the poorest neighborhoods of Brazil and provide credit services to the poor through mobile phones in Kenya.
In the Philippines, there were only one million landline subscribers and 102 ,400 mobile phone owners, all of whom belonged to the rich before Smart introduced low-cost mobile phone subscription in 1994.
Adhering to its original strategy and riding on the success of a project called 'Smart Load,' the company has introduced about 20 other innovative products/services in the span of just over 10 years. These products have revolutionized the telecommunications market in the Philippines.
"This is a great honor for Smart and for the Philippines. We are both elated and humbled. This award is not only very prestigious, but is also most meaningful. We are challenged to do much more to build our business in ways that help our country," the statement quoted Napoleon L. Nazareno, Smart president and CEO as saying.


via Good News Pilipinas