Anti-Bribery Policy
Purpose
- We at RPM Consultants, a trading name of Resources Productivity Management Limited (referred to
in
this Policy as “the Company/we/us/our”) are committed to the practice of responsible corporate
behaviour and to complying with all laws, regulations and other requirements which govern the
conduct of our operations.
- We are fully committed to instilling a strong anti-corruption culture and are fully committed to
compliance with all anti-bribery and anti-corruption legislation including, but not limited to,
the
Bribery Act 2010 (“the Act”) and ensure that no bribes or other corrupt payments, inducements or
similar are made, offered, sought or obtained by us or anyone working on our behalf.
Bribery
- Bribery is defined as the giving or promising of a financial or other advantage to another party
where
that advantage is intended to induce the other party to perform a particular function
improperly, to
reward
them for the same, or where the acceptance of that advantage is in itself improper conduct.
- Bribery is also deemed to take place if any party requests or agrees to receive a financial or
other
advantage from another party where that advantage is intended to induce that party to perform a
particular
function improperly, where the acceptance of that advantage is in itself improper conduct, or
where that
party acts improperly in anticipation of such advantage.
- Bribery of a foreign official is defined as the giving or promising of a financial or other
advantage
which is intended to influence the official in order to obtain business or an advantage in the
conduct
of
business unless the foreign official is required or permitted by law to be influenced by such
advantage.
Consequences of Bribery
- Anyone or any organisation found guilty of bribery under the Act may face fines and/or prison
terms.
In
addition, high legal costs and adverse publicity are likely to result from any breach of the Act.- For our employees, failure to comply with this Policy and/or with the Act may result in:
- disciplinary action which may include dismissal; and
- criminal penalties under the Act which may result in a fine and/or imprisonment for up
to 10
years.
- For the Company, any breach of this Policy by any employee or business associate may result in:
- the Company being deemed to be in breach of the Act;
- the Company being subject to fines; and
- the Company suffering negative publicity and further associated damage as a result of
such
breach.
Responsibility for Compliance and Scope of Policy
- This Policy applies to all employees, agents, contractors, subcontractors, consultants,
business
partners and any other parties (including individuals, partnerships and bodies corporate)
associated
with
the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
- It is the responsibility of all of the abovementioned parties to ensure that bribery is
prevented,
detected and reported and all such reports should be made as stated in this Policy, as
appropriate.
- No party described in section 4.1 may:
- give or promise any financial or other advantage to another party (or use a third party
to
do
the
same) on the Company’s behalf where that advantage is intended to induce the other party
to
perform
a
particular function improperly, to reward them for the same, or where the acceptance of
that
advantage
will
in itself constitute improper conduct;
- request or agree to receive any financial or other advantage from another party where
that
advantage
is intended to induce the improper performance of a particular function, where the
acceptance of
that
advantage will in itself constitute improper conduct, or where the recipient intends to
act
improperly
in
anticipation of such an advantage.
- Parties described in section 4.1 must:
- be aware and alert at all times of all bribery risks as described in this Policy and in
particular
as
set out in section 9 below;
- exercise due diligence at all times when dealing with third parties on behalf of the
Company;
and
- report any and all concerns relating to bribery to their line manager or, in the case of
non-employees, their normal point of contact within the Company.
Facilitation Payments
- A facilitation payment is defined as a small payment made to officials in order to ensure or
speed
up
the performance of routine or necessary functions.
- Facilitation payments constitute bribes and, subject to section 5.3, may not be made at any
time
irrespective of prevailing business customs in certain territories.
- Facilitation or similar payments may be made in limited circumstances where your life is in
danger
but
under no other circumstances. Any payment so made must be reported in accordance with section
4.4.3
as
soon
as is reasonably possible and practicable.
Gifts and Hospitality
- Gifts and hospitality remain a legitimate part of conducting business, however, gifts and
hospitality
can, when excessive, constitute a bribe and/or a conflict of interest. Care and due diligence
should
be
exercised at all times when giving or receiving any form of gift or hospitality on behalf of the
Company.
- The following general principles apply:
- Gifts and hospitality may neither be given nor received as rewards, inducements or
encouragement
for
preferential treatment or inappropriate or dishonest conduct.
- Neither gifts nor hospitality should be actively sought or encouraged from any party,
nor
should
the
impression be given that the award of any business, custom, contract or similar will be
in any
way
conditional on gifts or hospitality.
- Cash should be neither given nor received as a gift under any circumstances.
- Gifts and hospitality to or from relevant parties should be generally avoided at the
time
of
contracts
being tendered or awarded.
- The value of all gifts and hospitality, whether given or received, should be
proportionate
to
the
matter to which they relate and should not be unusually high or generous when compared
to
prevailing
practices in our industry or sector.
- Certain gifts which would otherwise be in breach of this Policy may be accepted if
refusal
would
cause
significant and/or cultural offence, however the Company will donate any gifts accepted
for such
reasons
to
a charity of the Company’s choosing.
- All gifts and hospitality, whether given or received, must be recorded in an official
register.
Charitable Donations
- Charitable donations are permitted only to registered (non-profit) charities. No charitable
donations
may be given to any organisation which is not a registered charity.
- All charitable donations must be fully recorded in an official register.
- Proof of receipt of all charitable donations must be obtained from the recipient
organisation.
- Under no circumstances may charitable donations be made in cash.
- No charitable donation may be made at the request of any party where that donation may
result in
improper conduct.
Political Donations
- The Company does not make political donations and the Company is not affiliated with any
political
party, independent candidate, or with any other organisation whose activities are primarily
political.
- Employees and other associated parties are free to make personal donations provided such
payments
are
not purported to be made on behalf of the Company and are not made to obtain any form of
advantage
in
any
business transaction.
Due Diligence and Risks
- The following issues should be considered with care in any and all transactions, dealings
with
officials, and other business matters concerning third parties:
- Territorial risks, particularly the prevalence of bribery and corruption in a particular
country;
- Cross-border payments, particularly those involving territories falling under section
9.1.1;
- Requests for cash payment, payment through intermediaries or other unusual methods of
payment;
- Activities requiring the Company and/or any associated party to obtain permits or other
forms
of
official authorisation; and
- Transactions involving the import or export of goods.
This Anti-Bribery Policy has been approved and authorised by:
Name: Sam Viner
Position: Managing Director, Resources Productivity Management Ltd
Date: July 2021