Business Ethics & Governance
Bribery and corruption pose significant financial, legal and reputational risks to our business, and upholding ethical business practices is essential to maintaining long-term stability, driving investor confidence and protecting the interests of our stakeholders.
We address this critical issue with a rigorous and structured approach. Our well-established Three Lines of Defence model is overseen by the Risk and Compliance Management Committee (RCMC), with quarterly updates provided to both the Board Risk and Compliance Committee (BRCC) and the Board of Directors. Meanwhile, our Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption (ABAC) Plan 2024-2026 incorporates integrity surveys, effectiveness testing and compliance maturity reviews, enabling key objectives to be set annually and reinforcing our stance of Zero Tolerance for Bribery and Corruption.
Reflecting our commitment to upholding a culture of integrity and compliance, we achieved an 87.5% training completion rate across Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption in 2024, Whistleblowing, Data Privacy & Cyber Security modules, bringing us closer to our target of 90%, and assessed more than 80% of our operations for corruption-related risks.
Our Performance In 2024
We undertook the following efforts in 2024 to strengthen our compliance culture, enhance our governance frameworks and foster industry collaboration, in line with our zero-tolerance stance on bribery and corruption.
Provided mandatory, targeted training for high-risk departments to mitigate bribery and corruption risks
Conducted a Group-wide integrity survey, focused on conflicts of interest, achieving 70% participation
Implemented the following systems and processes across the Group:
-
ABAC Plan Reporting System
-
Corruption Risk Assessment Reporting System
-
Compliance Monitoring & Evaluation Reporting System
Updated our VITAL System to enhance compliance tracking
Organised the Axiata Key Supplier Engagement Forum 2024 to drive adoption of best practices across our supply chain
Automated our corruption risk assessment and the monitoring of compliance and ABAC across the Group to drive consistency and accurately identify trends
Our Governance Approach
Our Speak Up channel provides a secure avenue for the reporting of unlawful, unethical or non-compliant behaviour, ensuring that individuals raising concerns in good faith can do so without fear of retaliation.
The channel, which is managed by an independent external provider and overseen by Axiata Group Internal Audit, is open to anyone connected to Axiata and its subsidiaries. All reports are thoroughly reviewed, with investigations conducted where necessary, and substantiated cases result in appropriate disciplinary action, including dismissal where warranted.
We recognise that the value chains of mobile operations involve human rights risks due to the nature of the operations. These risks encompass various issues, such as the treatment and working conditions of workers across the supply chain, the treatment of employees within the company, and the protection of customers’ rights on the Internet.
We are committed to respecting the human rights of all our employees and stakeholders and complying with local laws. In November 2022, we joined the UN Global Compact (UNGC), integrating its Ten Principles into our business operations and culture. This underscores our commitment to upholding human rights and labour standards, protecting the environment and combatting corruption.
We employ a Risk Management framework that is aligned with ISO 31000:2018 and overseen by key management teams throughout the organisation. Our OpCos adhere to a consistent set of policies and standards, enabling measurable risk management in accordance with defined Risk Appetite Statements and ensuring alignment with organisational objectives. The tone set by senior leadership is reinforced through quarterly BRCC and the RCMC meetings, with risk management as a principal agenda item. This standardised approach is implemented across all OpCos and is overseen by the local Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) teams. All identified risks are promptly reviewed and mitigated at source or escalated to the Group Management Committees for further action and reporting. ERM teams function as the second line of defence, working closely with the first line to support robust risk assessment and mitigation practices.
We contribute both direct and indirect taxes, along with fees, to the economies, nation-building efforts and the socio-economic development of all the countries where we operate. In doing so, we recognise that tax transparency is crucial to ensuring regulatory compliance, maintaining trust among stakeholders, investors and customers, mitigating legal and reputational risks and contributing to sustainable development. Our taxation approach is guided by Axiata Group Policies – Taxation Chapter, which sets out policies for the Group’s and our OpCos’ tax affairs to ensure compliance with tax laws and regulations and drive effective tax management. Decision-making thresholds are guided by the Group’s and our OpCos’ Limit of Authority. Above all, we are fully committed to operating our businesses in compliance with the tax laws of the countries where we operate in, contributing responsibly our fair share of taxes to society and meeting shareholder obligations.
We are committed to full compliance with competition laws in all markets where we operate. The Axiata Supplier Code of Conduct explicitly prohibits suppliers and vendors from engaging in anti-competitive practices, while our Employee Code of Conduct requires all employees to comply with relevant laws and avoid any activity that may constitute a breach.
Developing Stringent Policies
In seeking to enshrine responsible business practices and continuous compliance across the Group, we have established the following policies and frameworks that apply to all Axiata employees.
Our Policies
Business Ethics & Governance
Bribery and corruption pose significant financial, legal and reputational risks to our business, and upholding ethical business practices is essential to maintaining long-term stability, driving investor confidence and protecting the interests of our stakeholders.
We address this critical issue with a rigorous and structured approach. Our well-established Three Lines of Defence model is overseen by the Risk and Compliance Management Committee (RCMC), with quarterly updates provided to both the Board Risk and Compliance Committee (BRCC) and the Board of Directors. Meanwhile, our Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption (ABAC) Plan 2024-2026 incorporates integrity surveys, effectiveness testing and compliance maturity reviews, enabling key objectives to be set annually and reinforcing our stance of Zero Tolerance for Bribery and Corruption.
Reflecting our commitment to upholding a culture of integrity and compliance, we achieved an 87.5% training completion rate across Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption in 2024, Whistleblowing, Data Privacy & Cyber Security modules, bringing us closer to our target of 90%, and assessed more than 80% of our operations for corruption-related risks.
Our Performance In 2024
We undertook the following efforts in 2024 to strengthen our compliance culture, enhance our governance frameworks and foster industry collaboration, in line with our zero-tolerance stance on bribery and corruption.
Provided mandatory, targeted training for high-risk departments to mitigate bribery and corruption risks
Conducted a Group-wide integrity survey, focused on conflicts of interest, achieving 70% participation
Implemented the following systems and processes across the Group:
-
ABAC Plan Reporting System
-
Corruption Risk Assessment Reporting System
-
Compliance Monitoring & Evaluation Reporting System
Updated our VITAL System to enhance compliance tracking
Organised the Axiata Key Supplier Engagement Forum 2024 to drive adoption of best practices across our supply chain
Automated our corruption risk assessment and the monitoring of compliance and ABAC across the Group to drive consistency and accurately identify trends
Our Governance Approach
Our Speak Up channel provides a secure avenue for the reporting of unlawful, unethical or non-compliant behaviour, ensuring that individuals raising concerns in good faith can do so without fear of retaliation.
The channel, which is managed by an independent external provider and overseen by Axiata Group Internal Audit, is open to anyone connected to Axiata and its subsidiaries. All reports are thoroughly reviewed, with investigations conducted where necessary, and substantiated cases result in appropriate disciplinary action, including dismissal where warranted.
We recognise that the value chains of mobile operations involve human rights risks due to the nature of the operations. These risks encompass various issues, such as the treatment and working conditions of workers across the supply chain, the treatment of employees within the company, and the protection of customers’ rights on the Internet.
We are committed to respecting the human rights of all our employees and stakeholders and complying with local laws. In November 2022, we joined the UN Global Compact (UNGC), integrating its Ten Principles into our business operations and culture. This underscores our commitment to upholding human rights and labour standards, protecting the environment and combatting corruption.
We employ a Risk Management framework that is aligned with ISO 31000:2018 and overseen by key management teams throughout the organisation. Our OpCos adhere to a consistent set of policies and standards, enabling measurable risk management in accordance with defined Risk Appetite Statements and ensuring alignment with organisational objectives. The tone set by senior leadership is reinforced through quarterly BRCC and the RCMC meetings, with risk management as a principal agenda item. This standardised approach is implemented across all OpCos and is overseen by the local Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) teams. All identified risks are promptly reviewed and mitigated at source or escalated to the Group Management Committees for further action and reporting. ERM teams function as the second line of defence, working closely with the first line to support robust risk assessment and mitigation practices.
We contribute both direct and indirect taxes, along with fees, to the economies, nation-building efforts and the socio-economic development of all the countries where we operate. In doing so, we recognise that tax transparency is crucial to ensuring regulatory compliance, maintaining trust among stakeholders, investors and customers, mitigating legal and reputational risks and contributing to sustainable development. Our taxation approach is guided by Axiata Group Policies – Taxation Chapter, which sets out policies for the Group’s and our OpCos’ tax affairs to ensure compliance with tax laws and regulations and drive effective tax management. Decision-making thresholds are guided by the Group’s and our OpCos’ Limit of Authority. Above all, we are fully committed to operating our businesses in compliance with the tax laws of the countries where we operate in, contributing responsibly our fair share of taxes to society and meeting shareholder obligations.
We are committed to full compliance with competition laws in all markets where we operate. The Axiata Supplier Code of Conduct explicitly prohibits suppliers and vendors from engaging in anti-competitive practices, while our Employee Code of Conduct requires all employees to comply with relevant laws and avoid any activity that may constitute a breach.
Developing Stringent Policies
In seeking to enshrine responsible business practices and continuous compliance across the Group, we have established the following policies and frameworks that apply to all Axiata employees.
Our Policies
