By Foday Moriba Conteh
With the main objective of complementing Government’s efforts in trying to combat corruption and raising awareness on ethics and compliance in the private sector, one of Sierra Leone’s leading GSM mobile operators, Orange Sierra Leone has on Tuesday 30th November, 2021 joined other 29 affiliate bodies in commemorating its 9th Ethics and Compliance Day with the theme: “Stick on the Basics-Integrity, Responsibility & Compliance-NACS Strategy for the Public Sector”. The commemoration was held at the company’s headquarters on Hill Station in Freetown.
In her address on Tone at the Top message, the Chief Executive Officer at Orange Sierra Leone, Aminata Kane, noted that the Ethics and Compliance Day is set aside for the purpose of raising awareness among all employees about Ethics and Compliance challenges and risks and to strengthen the company’s approach to Ethics and Compliance within all
Orange operations which, according to her, will strengthen the momentum of Orange’s Action Plans, mitigate associated risks, build a consistent and structured communication on Ethics and Compliance within the company and its affiliate bodies.
She furthered that Orange Sierra Leone, due to its commitment towards Ethics and Compliance, the company’s compliance has improved from level 1 to level 4 over the past three years.
Underscoring their strengthen on ethics and compliance, she disclosed that Orange, as a group, has set up a code of ethics and anti-corruption policy also adding that the company is committed to conduct its activities in accordance with set principles and ethical behavior to fight corruption.
In her presentation, the General Secretary of Orange-SL, Haffie Haffner, noted that the Ethics and Compliance Day is a key event in the operations of the company as a responsible operator.
“The business environment is becoming tougher (stricter laws, higher standards and greater security) by stakeholders, including customers, more inspections and investigations, harsher penalties, etc. Orange is underlying its commitment to create the digital world of the future by building the trust for and with its stakeholders,” she maintained.
She pointed out that the objective of day is to make each employee accountable related to ethics and compliance programmes and corruption prevention.
Haffie Haffner added that Orange-SL therefore undertakes to comply with all national, European and International legal and regulatory provisions applicable to businesses related to the fight against corruption, notably amongst others, the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the UK Bribery Act, the French “Sapin 11” law.
On her part, the Deputy Director of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy Secretariat at the Anti-Corruption Commission, Edita Fofana, commended Orange Sierra Leone for undertaking such a venture by commemorating this ethics and compliance day which she described as very pivotal towards the fight against corruption in the country.
She also disclosed that the relationship between Orange-SL and the ACC has been very
cordial of which she added that the Chief Executive Officer at Orange Sierra Leone, Aminata Kane is a member of the National Anti-Corruption Steering Committee.
She noted that National Anti-Corruption Strategy seeks to establish a high set of public standards and sets in motion systemic improvements to strengthen the national integrity system and to maintain a high standard of integrity, discipline and ethics in the
private management of the public and private sector.
She concluded by encouraging the company and staff to maintain high Ethics
and Compliance in their daily work.
The Country Head of Conduct, Financial Crime and Compliance at Standard Chartered Bank, Victor A. Kargbo, stated that for every regulatory compliance obligation there are regulatory bodies that are empowered to issue laws, legislations and guidelines which companies must comply with.
He described compliance as a person’s, company’s or organization’s ability to adhere to standards, regulations, rules or policies.
On ethics and conduct, he maintained that the company has a legal person who demonstrates commitment to ethical standards by making policy statements and enforces the statement consistently across the company without compromise for business performance.
These policies are not respecters of any person and should be enforced consistently without favor of which he encouraged the company to continue in their drive in raising awareness on ethics and compliance within their company.
Climaxing the event was a digital quiz competition organized by the Ethics and Compliance Department at Orange Sierra Leone during which staff of the company won prizes ranging from mobile phones, fly boxes, Mifi etc.
