Anti-corruption
Basic ideas and policies
The Resonac Group takes the expectations of all stakeholders seriously and is committed to fulfilling its promises to them in a sincere manner. In all countries and regions, we will eliminate acts of corruption, such as breach of loyalty, abuse of authority, forcible transactions using undue influence, bribery, embezzlement, concealment, obstruction of justice, and money laundering as well as other unfair and anti-social actions. These policies on compliance with competition laws and anti-corruption are clearly stated in the Code of Conduct, and we ensure that they are put into practice.
Establishment and enforcement of rules and regulations based on the Global Compliance Standards
The Global Compliance Standards set forth a framework and standards for legal compliance that should be shared globally. While maintaining this common framework, individual Group companies have established their own rules for complying with competition laws, preventing bribery, and avoiding transactions with anti-social forces in line with local conditions, locally applicable rules, and the degree of business risk. In addition, the Head Office’s Compliance Division is developing systems and initiatives to appropriately prevent, monitor, and respond to contingencies stemming from violations of laws and regulations.
Compliance with competition laws
For complying with competition laws, which are designed to ensure fair and open competition, in each country, we formulated our own anti-cartel rules in 2010 and have been implementing the rules to control cartel risks appropriately in our daily business operations. Also, since 1999, we have been carrying out internal audits every year to check for illegal sales activities to ensure compliance with competition laws and reported the results to CRO.
Compliance with anti-bribery laws and regulations
Bribery of public officials (including executives and employees of companies substantially controlled by national and local governments, executives and employees of public international organizations, and candidates for public office) or executives and employees of private companies, as well as coercive demands for bribes or requests/solicitations for the same corrupt national politics and economies and hinder the sustainable growth of the international community. We have formulated a Resonac Group global policy as well as regulations on anti-bribery, and we are thoroughly committed to complying with the anti-bribery laws and regulations of each country.
We also provide e-learning programs for our employees in Japan and overseas. This e-learning clearly states that providing excessive entertainment or gifts directly or through a third party or giving, receiving, colluding with, or paying facilitation payments for the purpose of obtaining an improper business advantage from a domestic or foreign public official or other person or employee of a private company violates the anti-bribery regulations of all countries as well as our own rules. We are also educating our employees on the steps they should take to avoid bribery risks.
Our own rules prohibit giving or receiving not only bribes but also favors, gratuitous benefits, entertainment or gifts that may be suspected of being for improper gain, and we strictly set maximum amounts and approval processes to prevent gratuitous benefits beyond the scope of social courtesies. We are also stepping up our anti-corruption efforts in high-risk businesses and transactions. For transactions with public and quasi-public officials in particular, internal audits confirm that such transactions do not constitute bribery (e.g., giving and receiving entertainment and gifts, collusion, embezzlement, etc.).