Upholding Ethical Business Practices
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 a 98.2% training completion rate on our anti-corruption training while assessing 89.5% of our operations for corruption risks in 2025.
Our Performance In 2025
We undertook the following efforts in 2025 to further strengthen ethical business practices across the Group.
Provided targeted face-to-face training sessions on bribery and corruption to employees in high-risk departments
Successfully obtained the ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System certification for Axiata Corporate Centre
Formalised a Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure under our Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption (ABAC) Plan 2024-2026, while introducing an Ethical Decision-Making Framework and implementing Conflict-of-Interest training
Achieved 98.2% completion of anti-corruption training across our workforce, compared to 89.5% in 2024
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.
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Telecommunications operations involve complex value chains that may expose businesses to a range of human rights considerations. These include labour practices within the supply chain, fair treatment of employees and the protection of users’ rights in the digital environment.
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We recognise these responsibilities and engage with internal and external stakeholders to identify and address salient human rights issues relevant to our operations. Through ongoing assessments and stakeholder dialogue, we are committed to strengthening safeguards that promote responsible business conduct and respect for human rights across our markets.
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 socioeconomic 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 governed by Axiata Group Policies, ensuring compliance with tax laws, regulations and effective tax management across all OpCos. We are committed to undertaking related party transactions using the arm’s length principle that meets Transfer Pricing Rules and Regulations. Decision-making thresholds are guided by the Group’s and OpCos’ Limit of Authorities (LoA).
We are committed to maintaining 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
Upholding Ethical Business Practices
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 a 98.2% training completion rate on our anti-corruption training while assessing 89.5% of our operations for corruption risks in 2025.
Our Performance In 2025
We undertook the following efforts in 2025 to further strengthen ethical business practices across the Group.
Provided targeted face-to-face training sessions on bribery and corruption to employees in high-risk departments
Successfully obtained the ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System certification for Axiata Corporate Centre
Formalised a Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure under our Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption (ABAC) Plan 2024-2026, while introducing an Ethical Decision-Making Framework and implementing Conflict-of-Interest training
Achieved 98.2% completion of anti-corruption training across our workforce, compared to 89.5% in 2024
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.
-
Telecommunications operations involve complex value chains that may expose businesses to a range of human rights considerations. These include labour practices within the supply chain, fair treatment of employees and the protection of users’ rights in the digital environment.
-
We recognise these responsibilities and engage with internal and external stakeholders to identify and address salient human rights issues relevant to our operations. Through ongoing assessments and stakeholder dialogue, we are committed to strengthening safeguards that promote responsible business conduct and respect for human rights across our markets.
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 socioeconomic 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 governed by Axiata Group Policies, ensuring compliance with tax laws, regulations and effective tax management across all OpCos. We are committed to undertaking related party transactions using the arm’s length principle that meets Transfer Pricing Rules and Regulations. Decision-making thresholds are guided by the Group’s and OpCos’ Limit of Authorities (LoA).
We are committed to maintaining 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
