Bank of Palestine declared it has offered about USD 1,912,000 amounting to 5% of its net profit as contribution to social responsibility in 2012. As a result and for their third consecutive year Bank of Palestine ranked first among Palestinian banks in terms of the largest contribution to development and charity projects last year.
For his part, Chairman of the Board and General Manager of Bank of Palestine Mr Hashim Al-Shawa indicated that the Bank’s exercise of corporate social responsibility is based on a comprehensive development vision for all sectors, services and other areas. He added that the Bank sponsors basically sustainable development projects in different areas and sectors including education, youth and sports, creativity, health and environment, development, culture and arts, economic affairs and expatriates’ relationships, as well as other human endeavors. Mr Al-Shawa shed light on the Bank’s sincere and serious attempts to set up a solid foundation for the future of the new generations. He said, “While the world is threatened with environmental degradation, here in Palestine and the Middle East region we are facing another kind of challenge represented in poverty and declining economic situation and unemployment,” revealing at the same time an increase in the Bank of Palestine contribution in 2012 up to 5% of the Bank’s net profit compared to 2011. Moreover, this rate is more than twice the average rates offered by global companies within their corporate social responsibility reaching only 2% of their global profit.
Mr Al-Shawa also pointed out that 2011 and 2012 have witnessed the launch of several development and community projects financed by the Bank of Palestine. These projects cover different areas including education, development, relief, health, childhood, sports and special needs. Bank of Palestine’s contribution in the field of development amounted to about 21% targeting 33 beneficiary institutions; in the area of humanitarian relief the bank’s contribution was 18.86% targeting 9 beneficiary institutions; in education 11.4% targeting 25 beneficiary institutions; childhood 9.55% targeting 6 beneficiary institutions; culture 11.94% targeting 23 beneficiaries; health 5.22% targeting 2 beneficiaries; sports 15.34% targeting 22 beneficiary institutions; the environment 5.71% through sponsoring 4 activities last year; special needs 1% targeting 5 charity institutions.