Posted on 13/07/2020

Nova Participações adheres to the Business Pact for Integrity and Against Corruption
As a signatory to the working group created by the Ethos Institute, the holding company is committed to promoting a more honest and ethical market in Brazil

Nova Participações, holding company of Nova Engevix Engenharia and Nova Engevix Construções, has just become a member of the Ethos Institute’s Corporate Pact for Integrity and Against Corruption.

The Pact is composed of a group of companies committed to disclosing Brazilian anti-corruption legislation to their employees and stakeholders, so that it is fully complied with.

In addition, the members of the Business Pact must combat any form of bribery, work for the legality and transparency in contributions to political campaigns and excel in the transparency of information and collaboration in investigations, when necessary.

“Adherence to the Pact has a special meaning for all the Group’s employees, because, since 2017, we have been working continuously to improve governance and strengthen processes, guaranteeing ethical and transparent conduct in all the businesses of the Nova Participações Group”, says Adjair da Cunha dos Santos, Group Governance and Integrity Director.

According to him, the history of this new work strategy began with the creation of a specific area to take care of issues such as ethics and integrity, which operates independently and across all the Group’s units, disseminating ethical behaviors and business management with integrity. “The example and support of top leadership, added to the changes in processes, implementations of clear guidelines, in addition to raising awareness among managers, employees and partners were fundamental to the creation of our Integrity Program”, he remembers.

In 2019, the area of ethics and integrity underwent a restructuring and in 2020 it was elevated to the status of Directorate of Governance and Integrity. These actions contributed to important and beneficial updates to the Program, such as: the continuous review of the Code of Ethics and Conduct; the dissemination of policies and procedures for the prevention, detection and remediation of possible acts of fraud and corruption; the constant training of leadership and employees in ethics and integrity, and the implementation of the outsourced Due Diligence process.

The number of employees with exclusive dedication to the execution and improvement of the Integrity Program increased, and there was also the elaboration of the Risk Assessment (evaluation of corruption risks) by a third party company. “This made it possible to identify mechanisms to mitigate possible integrity risks to which the Group could be exposed”, adds the executive.
These efforts now gain a relevant milestone in Nova Participações’ timeline with the adhesion to the Business Pact for Integrity and Against Corruption. As a signatory, the holding company will have access to a wide network of contacts and experiences of companies and will benefit from a set of guidelines and procedures, being able to act effectively and transparently in the relationship with public authorities.

The principles of the Business Pact are based on the Charter of Principles of Social Responsibility, the UN Convention against Corruption, the 10th principle of the Global Compact and OECD guidelines.

About Nova Participações – Holding of companies with a focus on consultative engineering, which develop projects and enable operations in the areas of infrastructure, sanitation, energy and industry. Holder of one of the largest collections of engineering projects in Brazil, it is a pioneer in innovative techniques and in the use of advanced technology in vital projects in Brazil and abroad.