Transparency International
11 May 2012. Poul Riiskjær Mogensen, Chairman of the Danish branch of the international network Transparency International, says that Maersk Line is doing the right thing in attacking the root of the problem by announcing a clear policy to fight not only outright corruption, but also “facilitation payments.”
He says that Maersk report highlighted three good initiatives: (1) giving a clear signal that they will not accept it; (2) instituting an internal training program to create awareness of the problem among the employees; and (3) the establishment of a network with other players.
Maersk initiated at the end of 2010, Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), an international network to fight corruption in the maritime industry. The network has since grown to include more than 20 companies in the shipping industry in Denmark, Norway, Germany, UK, US and Sweden.
Poul Riiskjær Mogensen estimates that the initiative should be seen as a reaction to the new English legislation that makes companies accountable if they have failed to actively fight corruption in the case an incident emerges.
“Most international companies will be hit by this law. That is why I think that other countries will follow up with similar legislation, and that other companies will follow Maersk’s example,” says Poul Riiskjær Mogensen.
