Anti-corruption Guide for SMES

Abstract

Finland has made efforts to tackle corruption both in domestic and international trade for many years.

The fight against corruption today no longer only applies to the activities of the company itself but also to the practices of its suppliers of goods and services and other business partners. Corruption creates difficulties for many companies and is one of the most complex problems they face. Rather than only concerning businesses, however, the fight against corruption is a moral duty of society as a whole. Corruption is a major obstacle to economic development and the eradication of poverty, and it exacerbates the consequences of economic and social inequalities. Corruption also hampers the realisation of human rights.

By means of this guide, Finland wishes to raise awareness among companies, especially small and medium enterprises, which operate in the domestic and/or in international market, and warn them of the many risks of corruption and their consequences. The guide also provides companies with practical tools for and concrete examples of dealing with corruption as well as support for establishing their own anti-corruption codes of conduct. Responsible management makes a clear distinction between permissible and unacceptable practices. The management must make a clear stand against corruption. In practice, this means that the management assumes responsibility for developing and adopting appropriate internal controls, an internal whistle-blower channel, ethical guidelines and compliance programmes for preventing and detecting corruption, and communicates about this externally.