Poverty Footprint Study on how the Coca Cola - Oxfam America

14 Enabling policies
and institutions
Headlines
The Coca-Cola/SABMiIIer system engages with
governments on a wide range of issues.
SABMiIIer’s bottling plants, ILC and Zambian Breweries,
take the lead on dialogue with their respective
governments.
Excise taxes and sugar tariffs are two key areas of policy
engagement in both countries.
The Coca-Cola Company and SABMiller are engaged
in a range of environmental and health-related initiatives,
SABMiIIer’s bottling plant, ILC, and The Coca-Cola
Company have made strides working with the
Salvadoran government, the Salvadoran Sugar
Association and other stakeholders on ending child labor
in sugarcane harvesting.
74 Exploring the links between international business and poverty reduction
The success of a business is inextricably tied to
the stability and prosperity of the country in which
it operates. It is the role of government to fulfill
rights, protect citizens and provide social services
to its people. Governments also tax companies and
other entities to raise funds for public programs.
Accountable government is essential for managing
economic growth and ensuring that growth brings
benefits to the poorest people in society. Multinational
companies and their local partners often have wide
networks of political and economic contacts and
significant potential to influence government policies
and industry practices. Their advocacy activities can
have meaningful results on their bottom line as well
as on the societies in which they operate.
Companies have a compelling interest in ensuring
that host governments succeed in reducing poverty,
raising living standards and expanding the ranks of
middle-class wage earners. Moreover, a positive,
enabling environment helps ensure that companies
can invest, grow, create jobs and contribute to overall
economic growth.