By Juan Montoya, Country Managing Director of Sodexo Peru
Promoting and strengthening measures to prevent and confront corruption more effectively and efficiently is one of the three objectives proposed by the United Nations Convention when establishing December 9 as the International Day against Corruption. However, as a country we have a long way to go to combat this problem that has spread at all levels.
If we look back, corruption has left Peru with considerable economic losses and has taken away public institutions, growth and development, confidence in legal security and possibilities of attracting more investment, local and foreign.
To face this context, the business sector plays an important role. Today, corruption can take many forms, from bribery and fraud to misuse of corporate resources. Therefore, the performance and behavior of organizations must be impeccable, incorporating corporate governance models that seek to create a safe, transparent and accountable environment, in order to generate trust for clients, employees and partners, and in this way guarantee the sustainable success of the business and the entire ecosystem.
Along this path, compliance guidelines – which focuses on ensuring that companies operate within the limits of the law – and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance, which expands this approach by incorporating ethical and sustainable considerations in all operations) They are a core guide regarding responsibility with all stakeholders (collaborators, suppliers, clients and society in general).
Thus, to guarantee honest, fair, respectful and dignified relationships, it is necessary for every organization to implement several key actions: first, establish ethics committees, which take action on the periodic updating of compliance and anti-bribery policies, and Review the business integrity guide.
Then, through clear and detailed codes of ethics and conduct, with the aim of promoting transparency and integrity, behavioral expectations within a company are defined. Consequently, the code of ethics should cover aspects such as the prohibition of bribery, the proper management of conflicts of interest, and the rules for the acceptance of gifts and hospitality.
A second aspect to consider is regularly carrying out internal and external audits to detect and prevent corruption; These should cover all areas of the company, thus continuously monitoring transactions and activities can help identify unusual patterns.
Third, it is vital to adopt specific anti-corruption policies and procedures that help prevent, detect and respond to acts of corruption. These must include clear and accessible reporting channels for possible acts of corruption, with guidelines that regulate their treatment, ensure the protection of whistleblowers, and detail the consequences for those who fail to comply with the policies. Here, senior management’s commitment to allocating adequate resources is vital for these policies to be effectively implemented.
Training and awareness are a fourth point to highlight, since this requires commitment and constant work, which goes beyond just making the organization’s anti-corruption policies known, it also involves learning to identify and report possible corrupt acts.
And, finally, it is necessary to promote a culture of transparency, that is, create an environment where, for example, accountability is a fundamental value, and which is complemented by open communication channels to achieve the participation of all employees. .
Through continued efforts in this active and sustained fight against corruption, companies will be able to generate significant benefits such as improving their reputation, reducing costs and increasing efficiency, and even accessing new markets; in addition to moving towards a more just society free of dishonest and illegal practices.
