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Christine Chan

Peter Michael

Businesses big and small donate enough to buy nearly 30,000 protective suits

The corporate sector embraced the launch of Project Shield yesterday, with big and small business pledging to provide nearly 30,000 suits to protect frontline workers against Sars infection.

HSBC, BASF, the world's largest chemical company; Morgan Stanley, one of the planet's biggest merchant banks; Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant; the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and leading local businessmen Dickson Poon and wife Pearl were among the first to offer financial support to the campaign.

Dietmar Nissen, president of BASF East Asia, said: 'It took German chemical giant BASF just five minutes to make the decision.

'I noticed your campaign for those suits. We thought it would be a good idea.'

He said the campaign was a positive step for the community.

'There was a dangerous virus spreading through Hong Kong,' he said. 'It was not Sars, but panic.'

He said BASF was not a regular donor, but as the world's largest chemical firm operating in 39 countries, it wanted 'to be a good corporate citizen at this critical time'. He said the firm would donate 10,000 protective suits (HK$250,000) to the initiative.

'We have 250 staff in Hong Kong. Most of them are local citizens. We feel obliged to contribute something to the medical staff serving the population of Hong Kong,' he said.

'Psychologically, when all the nurses get the protection they need, we expect they will feel much relieved.'

He said the firm had also decided to offer a helping hand to Sars-infected mainland China.

Details would be announced next week, Mr Nissen said, but he remained tightlipped about where the money would be used.

'We are the biggest chemical investor in China, so we feel some obligation to help the government deal with the crisis,' he said.

Mr Nissen said: 'BASF has been holding Sars team meeting every morning since the Sars outbreak to assess the development and, with the help of a medical doctor in Germany, explain what precautions staff needed to take.'

CSX World Terminals, which operates out of Kwai Chung Container Terminal, donated HK$25,000.

'We want to tell the international community that we are here to stay and are very supportive of the medical community and this is a little way for us to say thank you,' a spokeswoman said.

'I think everybody is concerned with the situation but we have to think positively.'

TOP DONATIONS DAY 1

BASF: $250,000

Dickson and Pearl Poon: $350,000

Morgan Stanley management and staff: $100,000

HKCEC management and staff: $45,000



Firms show their community spirit