During Covid -19, Sonadezi continued to devote resources to promoting CSR activities with the biggest goal being protection of human resources and supporting customers, the public and the community to overcome difficulties and fluctuations.

With industrial and civil real estate being the key business line and 3 other areas including construction and building materials, support services, and water supply, Sonadezi and 17 subsidiaries are also affected by Covid-19. Faced with unprecedented difficulties with plans being subject to changes on a hourly basis, but with ongoing CSR activities, Sonadezi shows that the “common value” of the Sonadezi system, i.e. Corporate social responsibility, is something Sonadezi and its members adhere to .

50% discount on water for concentrated quarantine areas

In order to support customers and contribute to anti-Covid efforts in Dong Nai province, a subsidiary of Sonadezi, namely Dong Nai Water Supply Joint Stock Company (Dowaco), decided to offer a 50% discount on water bill amounts for July and August 2021, applicable to concentrated isolation areas in Dowaco’s service area.

Water bill discount will be offered by Dowaco to many concentrated quarantine areas in Dong Nai province

Currently, about 12 concentrated quarantine areas in Dong Nai are eligible for the discount. Dowaco will continue to update new concentrated quarantine areas so that water supply branches and member companies can pro-actively offer discount for customers.

Defend the frontliners in the supply of essential goods

Another member of Sonadezi, D2D Company, is aiming to provide Covid-19 vaccine to nearly 1,000 small vendors in Long Thanh market (Dong Nai). This will help the local market vendors stay safe and healthy and remain on the front line to serve people during the pandemic. D2D is also the first business in the province to sponsor vaccines for small vendors in traditional markets

Mr. Ho Duc Thanh – CEO of D2D said: “Fighting Covid while providing essential goods to the people, no one is more directly involved with this “mission” than small vendors. If there is a frontliner in fighting Covid, then this force is the frontliner in food supply. Equipping small businesses with a vaccine “shield” is essential to protect markets and avoid a mass closure to curb the spread of disease.

D2D hopes to have a Covid -19 vaccines soon for small market vendors

Currently, in order to support Long Thanh market vendors in the difficult period, D2D has slashed 50% of commission and space rent in July and August 2021 for those in active business. At the same time, space rent and commission for the period from July to September will be exempted for vendors who have temporarily stopped doing business.

Overcoming difficulties in the epidemic center to protect the environment

The Sonadezi system currently has Sonadezi Services Joint Stock Company (SDV) and Sonadezi Environment Joint Stock Company (SZE) which are two entities operating in environmental protection, including the collection, transportation and treatment of waste. During the pandemic, there was an increase in the workload and the working environment is also at a higher risk of infection, especially for entities with employees directly exposed to the collection, transportation and treatment of medical waste such as SDV. Therefore, in addition to the great pressure of performing tasks in areas seriously hit by Covid, these entities have constant concerns about the safety and health of their workers.

However, with flexible responses and the efforts of employees, the collection, transportation and treatment of waste still ensures the required capacity and compliance with applicable regulations, contributing to environmental protection, avoiding community infection and ensuring the worker health and safety.

SDV workers collect and transport infectious medical waste (at Field Hospital No. 5 – Trang Bom district) for treatment at Quang Trung Wastewater Treatment Zone.

SDV Company said currently its Quang Trung Waste Treatment Zone is receiving and treating domestic waste for 07 districts, Long Khanh City, a part of waste generated from Bien Hoa City and customers in Dong Nai province. At the same time, SDV is collecting and transporting medical waste and other types of waste generated in concentrated quarantine areas, medical isolation areas, locked-down areas in 09 districts, Bien Hoa City, Long Khanh City and a number of businesses with Covid-19 infections.

Faced with changing service performance conditions due to Covid impacts and having to perform the additional tasks of collecting, transporting and treating medical waste from Covid treatment, Quang Trung WTZ still maintains stable operation, even during the lock-down of the project area in Quang Trung commune (Thong Nhat district). This is thanks to the preparation of response plans, timely changes, and the organization of collection, transportation and treatment activities in accordance with applicable regulations for each type of waste and in conformity with the actual conditions during the pandemic.

In order to protect the health of employees, SDV is said to have focused on investing and equipping work-specific protective equipment. Priority is given to vaccination and weekly screening tests for the team directly involved in the collection, transportation and treatment of waste.

To further ensure the safety of employees involved in the collection, transport and treatment of waste, especially medical waste in concentrated quarantine and locked-down areas, Mr. Tran Anh Dung – CEO of SDV believes a higher level of care and protection is critical since the risk of infection is very high. Dung suggests that this workforce be included in the high-risk group to with a high priority for vaccination and should be equipped with specialized equipment to ensure their safety and health.

SZE is the entity that collects and transports domestic waste from 29 wards and communes in Bien Hoa city and transships domestic waste of Vinh Cuu and Long Thanh districts. Amid complicated epidemic developments in Dong Nai, many wards and communes have been put under medical isolation. The biggest difficulty facing SZE is the shortage of personnel due to many collaborators residing in these isolated areas.

For example, 23 collaborators living in Thanh Phu commune, Vinh Cuu district had to temporarily stop working due to the isolation of Thanh Phu. Meanwhile, these collaborators are in charge of collecting domestic waste in 09 wards with about 21,000 households. Facing the decrease in collaborators, the company’s specialized vehicle fleet has ramped up operations to work around the clock, while the waste collection and transport team has doubled their capacity to cover the responsibilities of the collaborators under isolation.

SZE workers are picking up trash at Quyet Thang Park, Bien Hoa City

The SZE management said that there has been a hike in the costs of environmental cleanup during the pandemic due to the need for increased disinfection of waste collected from blocked and isolated areas, the implementation of “3 on-site”, and the provision of additional protective equipment and periodic screening tests for workers. However, SZE’s biggest goal is to ensure the safety of workers and ensure proper business.

Consider policies to support industrial park customers

In the field of industrial park (IP) infrastructure, Sonadezi is reviewing the epidemic situation and developments to adopt a support policy for Covid-affected customers. This is expected to help businesses sustain production as well as maintain jobs and income for the workforce.

Sonadezi is considering a policy to support customers in difficulty

In addition, Sonadezi is also ready to support the health sector of Dong Nai province to requisition a number of suitable locations in industrial parks as Covid response sites.

The management of Sonadezi said the activities mentiokned above are part of the group’s CSR series. Currently, in parallel with accompanying and supporting Covid control efforts in all localities and in Dong Nai in particular, Sonadezi attaches importance to properly controlling the pandemic across the Company’s system. At the same time, Sonadezi strives to overcome difficulties in business to maintain stable employment and income of nearly 4,000 employees and continue to accumulate budget for CSR activities of the whole system.