SUSTAINABILITY

As mainly a resources company, our ability to operate is critical. We did not design our operating model with this pandemic or a virtual work environment in mind, but our culture and ability to connect with each other shall enable us to continue working albeit at lower pace which somehow will affect our efficiency.

We swiftly implemented business continuity and made the wearing of face masks, washing of hands, utilisation of sanitisers and social distancing mandatory in order to protect our employees and those around them. We also worked to ensure that everyone across within the company had the appropriate personal protection equipment.

Furthermore, as we have adjusted to operating in a much more virtual environment, adaptation to videoconferencing facilities have proven essential to maintaining connectivity and business continuity during the crisis. The investments made in remote access capabilities, mobility and collaboration tools have helped maintain our “One BELFIKA” culture as we operate the firm beyond the scope of our physical office location.

Our operating model has enabled us to effectively manage operational risks and ensure that our critical employees have the means to stay connected with each other remotely.

The leadership and strategic guidance of BELFIKA’s Board and Executive Committee have been critical to BELFIKA’s ability to navigate the financial, operational and human complexities arising from the pandemic.

Our leadership team has been meeting on regular basis by videoconference to keep essential activities going and to monitor the well-being of our employees and their families.

We have prioritised clear and frequent communications from senior leaders, as well as a range of internal communications to help employees stay connected and informed.

We also recognise that for governments, businesses and investors alike, an essential question has been to understand the sources of resilience during these past few months and how to build on them to prepare for future crises.

We understand how companies managed with a focus on sustainability are better positioned versus their less sustainable peers to adverse conditions while still benefiting from positive market environments.

Risk management is foundational to BELFIKA’s identity. The COVID-19 crisis has heightened risks across multiple areas. BELFIKA’s risk management approach has continued to address a broad variety of risk factors during this time.

Continuous advancement of our risk management framework has facilitated our ability to identify the primary stress points and tackle them timely.

BELFIKA has launched a cross-functional task force to coordinate its resources and identify key risks and contingency plans in the event of extended closures.

We have also been monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on BELFIKA’s critical partners to understand their responses to the crisis and continually assess their preparedness.

Our overriding priority since the start of the crisis has been the health and safety of our employees and their families. We have implemented several initiatives to support our people as they adjust to new rules and norms.

We have emphasised the importance of mental and emotional well-being in addition to physical health because we recognise that this unprecedented time is stressful for everyone, including our employees. We have a variety of emotional and mental health benefits that are always available to all employees, including confidential counselling which has become critical during this time.

The pandemic has also introduced new challenges for working parents, including managing childcare and home-schooling while working from home. To support our employees we have implemented more flexible work-from-home schedules. We have also created several online forums where employees can exchange views and ideas.

Reinforcing BELFIKA’s culture through connectivity and support has been critical during this time.

Recognising that our managers play a critical role in this, we launched a series of enablement sessions to equip managers with the tools they need to keep teams motivated, informed and inspired during this rapidly changing time.

The emphasis has been on empathy and flexibility to accommodate the needs of our people. We have also streamlined internal communications and enable our employees to quickly find the latest policies and protocols to perform at their best in this new environment or to ask for help when they need it.

Through our social responsibility programme, we are committed to supporting our communities, particularly as COVID-19 has exacerbated social inequalities and hardship for millions of people

Protecting and supporting medical professionals is another important priority in sustaining our communities.

In addition to our philanthropic contributions, we have donated and continue to donate masks and other personal protection equipment.

We are also actively supporting COVID-19 relief measures taken by our governments and enforce compliance with advices and recommendations given by health experts.

Finally, our employees have been encouraged in fundraising and volunteering to help those most affected by the crisis.

We remain committed to optimising the communication with all our stakeholders as we believe in the strength of our organisation, the consistency of our performance and the sustainability of our results.

As advocate for greater transparency, we also remain determined to providing meaningful, accurate, complete and timely information to all our stakeholders.