(Ho Chi Minh City) – HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Ltd. (HSBC Vietnam) has officially announced its relief programme to support Vietnam in the fight against Covid-19. The programme of VND3 billion will support the most vulnerable groups in Vietnam who are adversely impacted by Covid-19. It will not only provide immediate support, the programme also aims at building resilience and preparedness for these groups of people for any similar crisis in the future, creating a positive long-term impact for the community. HSBC Vietnam is cooperating with experienced non-governmental organisations such as Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO), VinaCapital Foundation and Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI).
Tim Evans, CEO and Chairman of the Corporate Sustainability Committee of HSBC Vietnam, said “It is deeply touching to see all Vietnamese people coming together and providing a helping hand to support each other in this unprecedented time. HSBC Vietnam is proud to be able to join hands with Vietnam in the fight against this historical pandemic. Having been in discussions with our NGO partners, we have come to the decision to stand together with the Vietnam Government in supporting the most vulnerable people in society. We are all in this situation together and we hope that our donation can help make a difference for the least fortunate in the community in which we operate.”
The programme includes three projects which are expected to extend support to around 10,000 people of different backgrounds who are also the most vulnerable groups in Vietnam. As an initial action, two projects will provide basic relief such as food, shelter, medicine, therapy sessions, special home education platforms for migrants, the homeless, off-the-book workers, disable children with disadvantage background and their caregivers who are seriously impacted by Covid-19. In the meantime, for the long-term effect, another project will look to install clean water filtration systems for public hospitals in remote communes, benefiting healthcare workers and patients in these areas. In addition, it will set up training on the needs of clean water for local people, and provide economic recovery to the people in need.
Tim Evans said “We would like to thank our NGO partners. It is critical at this point in time, that we are all able to work from home in order to comply with the social distancing guidance of the authorities. There are a number of designated essential services such as banking that continue to function, but it is the volunteers of these organisations who still go out and provide assistance to the most vulnerable people that makes a material difference to the lives of many. These people together with people in the medical profession are all part of the front line in the battle against Covid-19 and we would like to provide them with the means to continue doing their invaluable work.”
HSBC Vietnam will continue to assess the situation and demands for further relief programmes. In parallel, the bank has also rolled out measures to support our clients in this critical time. Besides the financial support to the most impacted customers, the bank is working tirelessly to offer flexible operations framework for those who are mostly in the Business Continuity’s working from home mode as well as to support customers to move to and leverage HSBC’s digital platforms.
HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Ltd.
HSBC has been in Vietnam for 150 years – the bank first opened an office in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1870. HSBC was the first foreign bank to launch its locally incorporated entity on 1 January 2009 as HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Ltd. The bank’s current network includes two branches and five transaction offices in Ho Chi Minh City, one branch and four transaction offices in Hanoi, and two full-service branches in Binh Duong and Da Nang. HSBC is one of the largest foreign banks in the country in terms of investment capital, product range, and customer base.
Full press release, read here
