Oil, gas companies stress collective efforts to improve civic facilities in underprivileged areas

ISLAMABAD, Nov 04 (APP): Speakers at a day-long workshop on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on Wednesday stressed the need for concerted efforts by oil and gas exploration companies to strengthen basic civic facilities, particularly education, healthcare and access to clean drinking water, to improve the living standards of people in underprivileged areas.

They emphasized that greater focus should be placed not only on launching new development initiatives but also on improving and strengthening existing infrastructure to ensure the sustainability of social sector interventions and extend their benefits to a wider segment of the population.

The workshop, organized by the Pakistan Petroleum Exploration and Production Companies Association (PPEPCA), brought together representatives of oil and gas exploration and production companies to share their experiences, achievements and contributions towards community development and social uplift across the country.

The participants highlighted the importance of coordinated CSR initiatives, saying that collective efforts by companies operating in the energy and petroleum sectors could play a significant role in bridging the development gap between disadvantaged communities and more developed areas of the country.

Addressing the workshop, PPEPCA Secretary General Ibrar Khan said the association served as a collaborative ecosystem, promoting collective action and cooperation within the energy and petroleum sectors.

He said CSR remained a core priority for PPEPCA member companies, with a particular focus on generating meaningful and sustainable impacts on communities.

“Our CSR initiatives are integral to our operational priorities, focusing on improving livelihoods, expanding access to essential services and protecting the environment for future generations,” he said.

He underscored the need for continued collaboration among industry stakeholders to ensure that social investment translated into tangible improvements in the lives of people, particularly those living in remote and underserved areas.

Sharing its CSR initiatives for the year 2025-26, a representative of Mari Petroleum Company Limited said the company had undertaken a range of interventions in healthcare, education, access to clean drinking water and food security to support communities in less-developed regions.

He said the company had provided more than 336,000 meals to deserving people, extended healthcare facilities to around 190,000 individuals and supported the provision of quality education to 1,600 students.

The representative further informed the participants that the company had established clean drinking water facilities benefiting more than 600,000 people, while affordable and clean energy initiatives had reached approximately 10,000 beneficiaries.

He said these initiatives reflected the company’s commitment to addressing essential community needs and improving access to basic services in areas where public facilities remained limited.

Meanwhile, a representative of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) highlighted the company’s contribution to healthcare and other social development initiatives, particularly in underserved communities.

He said the company had organized 15 medical camps, screened 450 women and installed radiation machines to facilitate advanced oncology services and improve access to diagnostic facilities.

He further informed the workshop that OGDCL’s six mobile healthcare units had provided free medical consultations, diagnostic services, medicines and health education to 74,679 patients.

The mobile healthcare facilities, he said, were playing an important role in reaching communities with limited access to hospitals and other healthcare infrastructure.

The speakers stressed that CSR activities should be treated as a long-term commitment rather than isolated welfare initiatives, adding that investment in education, preventive healthcare, clean drinking water and sustainable energy could create lasting socio-economic benefits.

They called for stronger coordination between exploration and production companies, government institutions and local communities to identify priority areas, avoid duplication of efforts and ensure the effective utilization of resources.

The participants maintained that strengthening existing civic infrastructure, alongside introducing new facilities, would be essential to ensuring equitable access to basic services and improving the overall quality of life in less-developed parts of the country.