Corruption is a major issue in most Southeast Asian countries and constructive engagement between government and the private sector is required to find a solution, says an adviser.
Shervin Majlessi, regional adviser on anti-corruption in the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, said more public-private engagement is helpful in establishing systematic solutions to fight corruption that is rampant in Asean countries except Singapore.
"Since Thailand is part of the global economy, competitiveness is at stake if corruption is not properly addressed," he said yesterday at the third CSR Thailand Conference, which carried the theme of "Corporate Social Responsibility Roadmap for Asean".
"This will not happen overnight, but it has to start somewhere and the private sector can play a major role. Many CSR projects can help address corruption."
Edgardo Amistad, chairman of the Singapore-based Asean CSR Network, said CSR will play a bigger role in Asean integration.
As businesses want to expand their operations and brands throughout Asean, CSR can help to shape company reputations in the region.
"The reputations of Thai companies should be on the same level as Singaporean companies in terms of CSR. Thailand is at the forefront of Asean integration," said Mr Amistad.
The Asean CSR Network represents members from six countries _ Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Pensri Suteerasarn, president of the Thai Listed Companies Association, said being a member of the Asean CSR Network provides a venue for Thai businesses to exchange ideas and best practices on a regional level.
She said the challenge of CSR in Thailand is some companies still associate it with philanthropic efforts such as donations and scholarships. CSR is really about sustaining business over the long run by including all stakeholders.
Ms Pensri said companies are beginning to understand how to incorporate CSR into their business and doing so systematically by reporting to the Stock Exchange of Thailand.
"It doesn't matter if you are small or have a budget of 20-30 million baht. Companies can do it just by adapting their production line to be more sustainable," said Ms Pensri.
This is the first year the Thai CSR Club presented a Sustainable Report Award to encourage ongoing reporting methods as part of a business plan and to create awareness of best practices.
Siam Cement Plc won the top Sustainability Report Award 2013, with Bangchak Petroleum coming in second.
PTT, PTT Exploration and Production Plc and PTT Global Chemical also won outstanding awards.