When it comes to public services provided by private companies, the quality of management, the companies’ financial transparency and Compliance policies make the difference. Being
the first basic sanitation company to adhere to the 16 points of Decree 8420/15, which provides for integrity programs for companies, Aegea took another important step on the subject in early December, when it received NBR ISO 37001 certification – System Anti-Bribery Management.
ISO37001 uses as a basis aspects covered in anti-corruption legislation worldwide. Therefore, certified companies have a management system that is proven to be able to face the risks related to bribery practices, with an internationally recognized standard. The Brazilian standard even contemplates and certifies companies that adopt mechanisms to combat fraud in public procurement contracts.
The Integrity Management, responsible for implementing the measures that achieved certification, uses lectures, face-to-face and online training, policy implementation, as well as bold targets to measure progress, as a tool. The commitment to ethics and integrity on the part of employees, as well as the endorsement of the company’s top leadership in the execution of the program, are also fundamental to the result achieved.
The ISO 37001 certification is valid until December 2021 and, in 2019 and 2020, we will undergo audit processes to maintain this certification. Aware of the challenge, the President of Aegea, Hamilton Amadeo, points out that “the search for process improvement must be continuous. Society’s demands and expectations are updated every day and it is essential that, especially companies that provide public services, be attentive to anticipate and lead change processes and satisfactorily meet social demands ”.