Compliance Policy and System
In April 2006, we formed the Compliance Committee to ensure consistency in compliance throughout the Group, and to manage the implementation of compliance practices. The Committee also works with the statutory auditors, Board of Statutory Auditors, independent auditors, and Internal Audit Unit to (1) develop and implement compliance programs; (2) monitor their implementation; (3) raise employees awareness of compliance policy and procedures; (4) receive reports on and investigate cases of noncompliance; (5) issue warnings and take measures to end any noncompliant conduct; and (6) establish measures to prevent recurrence of noncompliant conduct.
To encourage INPEX Group employees to put compliance into practice, the Committee also distributes a Compliance Manual and Compliance FAQ literature and uses them to develop awareness of compliance across the Group.
Help-Line System
In April 2006, we established the Help-Line System for Group officers and employees in accordance with the Whistle-blowers Protection Act.
To operate this system, we devised Help-Line Procedures which outline stipulations on the mandatory reporting of fraud or unethical conduct, fact-finding procedures, protection of whistle-blowers, and confidentiality. Confidential reports are submitted to the department in charge of compliance (the General Administration Unit) or an external expert designated by the Compliance Committee. When the latter receives a confidential report, it is shared with the former in a timely manner. Our officers and employees can report unethical behavior anonymously and are rigorously protected against retaliatory action for filing such reports. The Help-Line System was used twice in fiscal 2010.
Compliance Training
From March to July 2010, we held 66 compliance training sessions across Japan based on the results of a compliance questionnaire conducted for all Group officers and employees in December 2009. In these sessions, we explained the issues and areas for improvement that were identified through the survey, and reconfirmed our basic stance on compliance, touching on the Group’s Mission, Corporate Social Responsibility Policy, and various case studies. Sessions primarily focused on raising awareness of information security and on human rights education regarding various types of harassment. Many officers and employees participated in the training sessions, including Japanese employees stationed in overseas offices who utilized a TV conference system, thus contributing to raising compliance awareness in the Group.
Moreover, in December 2010 we enhanced compliance communication by launching a Compliance Committee website on the intranet and by publishing the first issue of a monthly internal newsletter on compliance. By periodically providing concrete compliance-related information that can be used in day-to-day work, we will stimulate a greater interest in compliance and raise awareness across the Group.
Strengthening Information Security
To fulfill our social responsibility and maintain the public’s trust as a global energy company, we have been earnestly working to establish and promote information security by strategically using information technologies.
Since formulating our Basic Policy for Information Security in October 2008, the Group has been working together to manage risk and make continual improvements to security. Our efforts have particularly focused on raising officer and employee awareness of information security through education and other awareness-raising activities. We have repeatedly installed, operated, and improved systems to enable safer handling of information in an aim to address system weaknesses that could lead to unauthorized access and threats such as computer virus infection.
In fiscal 2010, no security-related incidents occurred to our information assets. Going forward, we will continue to strengthen information security to fully prepare ourselves for risks.
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