CORPORATE GOVERNANCE & SUSTAINABILITY CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Provision of Non-audit Services Shareholders In deciding whether the auditors should provide non-audit Communication with Shareholders services the following key principles are considered: and Investors • the auditors should not audit their own firm’s work The Board and senior management recognise their • the auditors should not make management decisions responsibility to represent the interests of all shareholders • the auditors’ independence should not be impaired and to maximise shareholder value. Communication with • quality of service shareholders and accountability to shareholders is a high In addition, the Company has a protocol in place for priority of the Company. approval of the provision of non-audit services by the The Company has a Shareholders’ Communication auditors. Any services which may be considered to be in Policy which is available on the Company’s website. conflict with the role of the auditors must be submitted to The Shareholders’ Communication Policy aims to ensure the Audit Committee for approval prior to engagement, that shareholders and the investment community are regardless of the amounts involved. The protocol is provided with appropriate and timely access to material updated from time to time to ensure compliance. information about the Company. It sets out the Company’s Fees paid to the auditors are disclosed in note 7 to the framework for promoting effective communication with its financial statements. shareholders so as to enable them to exercise their rights as shareholders in an informed manner, and to allow Inside Information the investment community to engage actively with With respect to procedures and internal controls for the Company. the handling and dissemination of inside information, The methods used to communicate with shareholders the Company: include the following: • is required to disclose inside information as soon as • the Chief Executive and Finance Director make reasonably practicable in accordance with the Securities themselves available for meetings with major and Futures Ordinance and the Listing Rules shareholders, investors and analysts over two-month • conducts its affairs with close regard to the “Guidelines periods immediately after the announcement of the on Disclosure of Inside Information” issued by the interim and annual results and at certain other times Securities and Futures Commission during the year. In addition, they attended regular • has included in its Corporate Code of Conduct a strict meetings with analysts and investors in Hong Kong, prohibition on the unauthorised use of confidential or analyst briefings, investor group briefings, overseas inside information roadshows and investor conferences during the year • ensures, through its own internal reporting processes • through the Company’s website. This includes electronic and the consideration of their outcome by senior copies of financial reports, webcasts of analyst management, the appropriate handling and presentations given at the time of the interim and dissemination of inside information annual results announcements, slides of presentations given at investor conferences, latest news, public announcements and general information about the Group’s businesses • through publication of interim and annual reports • through the annual general meeting as discussed below and other general meetings that may be convened 108