Public Policy
April 01 2001
by Mike TuffreyNCVO does great work for the UK voluntary sector. All the more pity that its attack on corporate commitment should be so poorly researched. Its central proposal - tax cuts for responsible companies - is a non-starter, as a bit of stakeholder consultation would have quickly revealed. Just ask a few companies if this is something they want or would accept. Imagine the outcry if Tesco, announcing record profits exceeding one billion pounds, was offered a lower tax rate (and so yet more money for its shareholders) thanks to its sterling work with Computers for Schools.
Alas, it seems even among the most responsible NGOs, the temptation to indulge in a bit of corporate bashing is hard to resist when a quick headline can be won. Instead, NCVO could be praising the steps the present government is undoubtedly taking to support and encourage greater CSR, rightly putting the focus increasingly on small and medium sized companies. Of course there is always more to do, but the voluntary and corporate sectors should be working together to develop common approaches to government.
So what should the election manifesto contain? If public funds for encouraging CCI can be prised out of the Exchequer, tax incentives are not the way forward. Instead how about a fund to match resources contributed by SMEs to new community projects? The arts sponsorship Pairing scheme has shown that even small sums can have a catalytic effect. For large companies, costs are rarely the decisive factor, but for smaller firms, a community partners pairing scheme could make all the difference.