Corporate Governance Chapter 5 The APR Panel recommends, in respect of employment rights, that fair employment practices be included in a revised code of ethics. [MLIRE] The APR Panel recommends, in respect of workers’ rights, that individual employees and their representative bodies be able to communicate their concerns about illegal or unethical practices freely to boards and that their rights not be compromised for doing so. [MLIRE] Chapter 5 Code of ethics – the public sector 733. The CSAR notes that the government of Mauritius is promoting best practice using ethical norms and standards. As a result, a Code of Ethics for Public Officers emerged in January 2000. The code specifies the standards expected from all public officers as they perform their duties. It lays down principles and guidelines aimed at instilling a high standard of conduct and behaviour in the public service, while at the same time recognising the rights and obligations of public officers. 734. The guiding values and principles of the Code of Ethics for Public Officers are: • • • • 735. The code also outlines the responsibilities that public officers have towards ministers and the public in general. Public officers must deal with ministers to the best of their ability and with integrity, courtesy and respect. They must also treat members of the public diligently and fairly. The code also covers issues like political impartiality, accepting gifts and benefits, conflicts of interest, disclosure of information, outside employment and using public resources. 736. Adopting the code for public officials is seen to be the start of a transparent and impartial customer-focussed civil service geared to promoting good governance. 737. Furthermore, in aiming to build an ethical culture in the civil service further, the Ministry of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms (MCSAR) has developed, together with the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), an Ethics Online Corner on the government of Mauritius’s portal. It provides easy access to everyone regarding ethics, ethical management, standards of conduct, preventing corruption and other best practices. 738. ICAC has also launched best practice guides on procurement and contract management. It is preparing other best practice guides and codes of conduct. They include a best practice guide for recruiting, codes of conduct for parastatal bodies, and an anticorruption charter for the public sector. The APR Panel recommends, in respect of environmental sustainability, that: • • • • • The NESC recommendations on improving the environmental management of the public sector and private corporations be implemented. [Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit] Private and public sector organisations conduct and publish regular environmental reports on their business activities, including energy audits. This would increase awareness about the environmental issues that directly affect their business activities. [Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit] Private companies or corporations be urged to target projects that have positive effects on the environment. Companies should be encouraged to collaborate with local entities such as schools, district councils and municipalities to identify and implement environmental projects. [Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit] The use of solar water heaters and the domestic production of clean energy sources be encouraged. [Ministry of Industry, Science and Research] The possibilities of introducing a carbon tax or other effective economic instruments of environmental policy, like an emissions market, be explored. [MOFEE] Objective 3: 262 Promote the adoption of codes of good business ethics in achieving the objectives of corporations i. Summary of the CSAR 732. The CSAR recognises that promoting good governance in the corporative sector means adopting norms and standards that will improve business ethics. Over the past few years, the public and the private sectors have both established codes of ethics in an attempt to regulate the corporative sector and to encourage transparency. This section describes the efforts made so far. The second part of this section highlights the main regulations intended to protect consumers. Corporate Governance Integrity. Objectivity. Conscientiousness. Loyalty to the government of the day. 263