OUR COMMITMENT TO GLOBAL COMMUNITIES
Code of Ethical Business Conduct
Abiding by Anti-Corruption
Laws (Bribes and Kickbacks)
Our Company has a zero tolerance policy
for
bribery. As such, we may never make,
accept, or offer any form of improper payment
while conducting business on our Company’s
behalf. We abide by all international laws,
treaties, and regulations that forbid bribery
of government officials, including the U.S.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
Almost every country prohibits the bribery
of
its government officials. In addition, some
countries have laws that make it illegal to bribe
officials of other countries. To be responsible
members of our business communities,
we must follow these laws wherever we do
business, regardless of local law or custom.
This means we may never offer, attempt to
offer, authorize, or promise any sort of bribe
or kickback or facilitation payments to a
government official for the
purpose of
obtaining or retaining business
or an unfair
business advantage or influencing their
official actions. Moreover, we may never
solicit or accept a bribe or
kickback. Anti-
corruption laws are complex, and the
consequences for violating these laws
are
severe. For this reason, you should avoid
any
activity that could be construed as bribery.
It is also important to note that we may
not
hire a third party to do something that
we
cannot ethically or legally do ourselves.
Engaging a third party to indirectly make an
improper payment violates this Code and anti-
corruption laws. We must carefully screen all
third parties before retaining them.
A “bribe” is anything of value,
including cash payments, gifts,
entertainment, or other business
courtesies, given in an attempt to
affect a person’s business
actions or decisions in order to
obtain a business advantage.
A “kickback” is the return of a
sum already paid or due to be
paid as a reward for awarding or
fostering business.
A “government official” can be a
national or local government
official or employee, a political
candidate, a representative of
an organization like the World
Bank, or an official or employee
of government-owned or
-controlled entities, such as
state-owned oil companies.