The coronavirus pandemic has been a tremendous hit to SMEs and start-ups.  While business operators have to stay resilient in the volatile economy, they must not neglect the possible risks and costs that corruption and related malpractices may bring to their companies.

The Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre (HKBEDC) has released a new issue of the "Smart Tips for SMEs" feature articles series reminding business operators to remain vigilant against corruption in times of adversity. You may click here to download the article.

More useful information and ethics resources for SMEs and Start-ups are available on the HKBEDC's "SMEs and Start-ups Corner".  Trade associations of different industries and start-up connectors are also welcome to join the "SME Corruption Prevention Network" and "Starting-Up Right! Connectors Network" to help us disseminate integrity messages to your members.

Work-from-home and study-from-home have become the new normals under the COVID-19 pandemic.  To facilitate the remote learning of insurance intermediaries, the Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre developed an online Continuing Professional Development (CPD) module on anti-corruption laws and professional ethics in collaboration with the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers.  Participants may earn 0.5 IA CPD hour on "Ethics or Regulations" upon completion of this half-hour module (only Chinese version is available).  You may click here to view the details and enrol.

Besides, the ICAC has launched a "Corruption Prevention Guide for Insurance Companies" to assist insurance companies in establishing and strengthening their corruption prevention capabilities. Click here to download the Guide.

In recent years, ICAC received complaints about con men posing as ICAC officers in deception cases. Overseas Chinese and local Hong Kong citizens alike fell prey to these scams.  

In these cases, victims were often told that they were suspects of some unlawful activities (e.g. corruption, fraud and/or money laundering), had earned a great deal from investments or had won a lottery.  Whatever the pretexts, the victims would be asked to remit money for certain purposes.  The money would then be withdrawn soon after remittance and the imposters disappeared into thin air.

Bear in mind that ICAC would never demand deposit or money, or ask anybody to remit or transfer money to any bank account for investigative purposes.  If you encounter similar situation or have any queries, immediately call the ICAC 24-hour Report Corruption Hotline (852) 25 266 366.

Stay alert and click here to learn more about the tricks used by fraudsters!

Due to the stepping up of international efforts in combating illegal activities including money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion in recent years, banks have to take enhanced control measures including a more stringent customer due diligence process to mitigate the potential risks for new customers.  As a result, the account opening process is more complex and requires longer time.

Although opening a bank account is essential to business operations, business operators must not offer advantages (including money or gifts) to bank staff for the latter's approving or expediting the account opening application, otherwise both the business operator and the bank staff may violate the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) enforced by the ICAC for offering or accepting a bribe respectively.  The maximum penalty is a fine of $500,000 and seven years' imprisonment.

Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre (HKBEDC), under Community Relations Department of the ICAC, strives to help banks and financial institutions guard against corruption and foster an ethical culture. Click here to visit HKBEDC website for more information about anti-bribery laws and HKBEDC's services.

If you suspect corruption, please call the ICAC 24-hour Report Hotline at (852) 25 266 366.

All insurance clients are looking for a professional, honest and trustworthy insurance intermediary to provide them suitable insurance advice and the best protection.  The "Integrity for Success" Ethics Promotion Website for the Insurance Industry developed by the Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre can help insurance intermediaries equip themselves and be their clients' Only One!

The website offers a wide range of ethics training resources and useful information for insurance practitioners.  Please visit https://hkbedc.icac.hk/insurance for more details.

Company daily operations involve the handling of a lot of documents and information, such as procurement contract and confidential information.  While some tasks may seem to be mundane or trivial, business operators should ensure working procedures are well followed to avoid their employees falling into corruption traps.

The Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre (HKBEDC) has released the second issue of  "Smart Tips for SMEs" to remind business operators to guard against ethical risks in daily operations and safeguard the interests of the company.  Please click here to view the article.

HKBEDC has also launched the "SMEs and Start-ups Corner" , a one-stop platform for the SMEs and Start-ups to obtain useful ethical resources.  Trade associations of different industries are welcome to join our "SME Corruption Prevention Network"  and help to disseminate integrity messages to more SMEs.  There are now over 70 trade associations representing some 40,000 SMEs in the Network.  Please click here to join us now!

The Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre (HKBEDC) is proud to present the new Ethics Promotion Website for the Insurance Industry, a one-stop ethics resources portal developed under the "Integrity for Success" Ethics Promotion Campaign for the Insurance Industry (the Campaign). 

This new dedicated website showcases key initiatives of the Campaign and offers a wide range of ethics resources and useful information for different stakeholders, including:

• New joiners to the insurance industry can make use of the Online Learning Course for New Practitioners to familiarize themselves with fundamental anti-corruption concepts 
• Licensed intermediaries can enhance their ethical awareness by checking out the FAQs and attending Online CPD Module
• Insurance companies can refer to the integrity management tips  for building an ethical corporate culture
• Policy holders can protect their best interests with the assistance of the smart tips for policy holders

Other tailor-made resources for the insurance industry such as training package, pamphlet, case studies and feature articles are also available on the website.  Insurance practitioners, companies and general public are encouraged to visit https://hkbedc.icac.hk/insurance to know more about the Campaign and get useful information.

The highlights of this issue include:

• Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre introduces the “Integrity for Success” Ethics Promotion Campaign for the Insurance Industry;
• four ICAC’s advisory committee chairmen meet the media to review the work of the committees in 2019;
• ICAC continues to share anti-graft experience with global counterparts;
• Students join the “Anti-Corruption Walk” to appreciate the city’s relentless fight against corruption; and
• the results of ICAC Annual Survey 2019 .

Please click here for the 39^th issue of the ICAC Post.

The highlights of this issue include:

• the ethics training and resource materials provided for professional accountants by the Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre, including the newly launched feature article series;

• the sharing from two overseas participants who joined the ICAC’s Chief Investigators’ Command Course;

• a glimpse of ICAC’s latest anti-corruption dialogues;

• Hong Kong’s latest ranking in global competiveness; and

• ICAC’s “All for Integrity” publicity programme video for the International Anti-Corruption Day.

Please click here for the 38th issue of the ICAC Post.

Following the successful launch of the “Starting-Up Right!” programme for novice entrepreneurs and start-ups, the Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre (HKBEDC) has recently formed a “Starting-Up Right! Connectors Network” (the Network) to link start-up connectors together and exchange useful information on business ethics and anti-corruption.

Start-up incubators, accelerators, alongside start-up communities and organisations that coordinate local start-ups activities, are cordially invited to join the Network and assist in disseminating integrity messages to their connected start-ups. Participating connectors can:

• receive news from the HKBEDC on its business ethics initiatives

• access to the latest ICAC’s publications and anti-corruption resources

• obtain “Anti-corruption Information Kit for Start-ups & SMEs”, pamphlets, feature articles, etc. for distribution to the connected start-ups

• use ICAC’s free services, including arrange talks and sharing sessions on corruption prevention for start-ups

Start-up connectors may click here to join the Network, while individual start-ups who are interested in our services may contact us directly. For enquiries, please contact Ms Karen Wong at (852) 2826-3398.