An analysis of a survey conducted on our in-house managed fleet.
A survey was held in October 2022 to understand the state of bribery and corruption in the industry as experienced by our officers and crew onboard our in-house managed vessels. Twelve questions were asked to assess the familiarity of crew with our Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption (ABAC) policy and expectations. This is the second biennale survey conducted by BW LPG and in collaboration with BW LNG, BW Epic Kosan and Hafnia, the last being held in 2020.
Participation and Key Findings
We saw an uptick in participation. All vessels continued to participate in the survey, with at least three responses per in-house managed vessel. Key findings were as follows:
- Continued strong understanding and high awareness amongst crew. 100% of respondents (2020: 100%) said they were aware of company’s expectations with regards to ABAC and have discussed or read materials related to BW LPG’s stand against bribery and corruption.
- Requests for facilitation payments appear to have declined. 6% of respondents replied that they have received facilitation requests in past six months, vs 29% in 2020.
- Cigarettes are the most-asked items. Cigarettes continued to be the most demanded for items, although demands for money have declined.
- A small number of crew continue to believe that bribery is acceptable. 5 respondents (2%) were of the view that bribery is acceptable, either because of cultures or to facilitate operations (2020: 6 respondents or 2%).
- A small increase in the number of crew who do not know how to respond to requests for facilitation payments. 6% (15 respondents) has said that they do not know what to do if asked for facilitation payments. This is versus 2020’s results of 5% (9 respondents).
- A strong call for more training for Management Team onboard. Feedback received from multiple crew for the top officers onboard to be trained on how to manage requests for facilitation payments.
- A strong call for hold Port Agents accountable. Feedback from multiple crew for Operations team to send some documentation for port agents to sign and acknowledge understanding of our Policy.
Taking Action
We thank all seafarers who took time to participate in the anonymous survey, and we commit to follow-up actions to address gaps and areas of improvement. Some activities have been implemented, such as refreshed Anti-bribery and Anti-Corruption posters for shore and sea, to be displayed prominently to encourage continued high levels of awareness and understanding amongst crew. A video was also created to commemorate International Anti-Corruption Day, with participation from crew. To better equip seafares with the skills to manage facilitation payments safely and professionally, there are plans to create simple guidelines on “What to do if I am asked” which are easy to remember at the frontlines. We will also explore the possibility of a simple/generic form to be sent to Port Agents from identified ports where facilitation payments are more common, for them to acknowledge understanding of our stand against Bribery and Corruption.
At BW LPG, all employees and crew can expect the fullest support from the highest levels of Management as we say no to bribery and corruption at the frontlines.We have zero tolerance towards bribery and corruption, and we expect all employees, crew and contracted parties to conduct themselves with the highest standard of integrity. As we work hard to contribute towards energy security for communities, we must continue to stand firm against bribery and corrupt practices in the industry.
Read More:
- Read about our Sustainability Approach here.
- Read about governance at BW LPG here.
- Read our Annual Report 2021.
- Read our Sustainability Report 2021.
Keywords: Anti-Bribery, Anti-Corruption, United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day, Governance, Integrity
