Whistleblower and Breaches
GC will not tolerate any behaviors or any violation of Business Codes of Conduct and Corporate Compliance. The Corporate Secretary (Head of Internal Audit), under the Internal Audit Department, is responsible for managing the company’s whistleblowing mechanism and for receiving the reports. This includes receiving complaints, investigate the violations according to corporate compliance procedures, rules and regulations in every cases in the same manners and summarize and report to the Audit Committee and the Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee, which will validate the details of the violation reports from the Whistleblower System. GC’s Whistleblower System features a centralized whistleblowing, fines, and penalties information structure to enable effective management, analysis of control measures, or prevention of frauds or non-compliance. The scope of the Whistleblower System has also been expanded to cover GC’s stakeholders and subsidiaries in accordance with GC’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.
In 2024, 14 subsidiaries in which GC holds more than 50 percent shares developed their own whistleblower process (representing 100 percent)
GC has disclosed all violation cases in code of business conduct, ethics, bribery and corruption, which has been strcitly moniterd and assessed by corporate compliance in public platform, including GC website as well as The Stock Exchange of Thailand platform.
GC has established the policy and set up the Whistleblower System to receive opinions, suggestions, questions, and complaints pertaining to corporate governance or corporate compliance from stakeholders within and beyond the organization.
The company provides training and guidance on the use of the whistleblowing and reporting channels through various platforms, including video clips “HOOK” E-Learning, the “Smart Leader Smart Treatment” seminar, email communications, and the GRC Newsletter. These communications cover topics such as good practices according to the Code of Conduct, procedures for reporting suspicious behavior via the Whistleblower system, and the disciplinary investigation process.
Currently, the company is studying ways to improve the complaint handling process to enhance its independence and increase whistleblowers’ confidence. Whistleblowers who do not wish or feel uncomfortable to disclose their identity can submit an anonymous report or send an anonymous letter. All details of reports recived and personal information of the whistleblowers are protected and kept with strict confidentiality.
Complying with international standards, the Whistleblower System focuses on three key principles: protection of complainants and subjects of the complaint, response to complainants, and investigation and remedy.
The three main actions in receiving the complaints
Responsibilities, accountabilities and reporting lines are systemically defined in all divisions and group companies
The three main actions in receiving the complaints
Investigation Committee
- Independence
- Confidentially
- Non retaliation
- Remedy program
Corporate
- Confidentially
- Protect reporter
- Non retaliation
- Employee discipline
- Process Improvement
Complainant
Report in suspect of
- Misconduct
- Noncompliance
- Fraud
Reporting channel
- Whistleblower@pttgcgroup.com
- Intranet/Internet (website)
- Others
GC discloses the number of complaints received through the Whistleblower System and other channels as follows:
Complaints Received Through GC's Whistleblower System
| 20212 | 20222 | 20232 | 20242 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substantiated Case | Substantiated Case | Substantiated Case | Reported | Ongoing Investigation | Substantiated Case | |
| Code of Conduct Complaints | ||||||
| Fraud1 (case) |
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
| Conflict of Interest (case) |
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
| Business Code of Conduct/ Corporate Compliance |
0
|
0
|
2
|
9
|
0
|
1
|
| Discrimination (case) |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Sexual Harassment (case) |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Non-sexual Harassment (case) |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Money laundering or insider trading (Case) |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Privacy3 (Case) |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Total (case) |
1
|
0
|
4
|
13
|
0
|
3
|
| Anti-competitive Complaints | ||||||
| Anti-competitive business practice /Antitrust (case) |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Remarks:
- Corruption & Bribery cases are included in Fraud category
- All complaints in 2021 – 2024 were completely investigated, judged and solved a case
- Customer Privacy Data cases are included in Privacy category
Complaints Received Through Other Channels
| 20211 | 20221 | 20231 | 20241 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ongoing investigation | Substantiated Case2 | ||||
| Social and Community Complaints (case) |
0
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
| Environment, Occupational Health and Safety Complaints (case) |
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Complaints on Products and Packages (case) |
0
|
63
|
16
|
0
|
44
|
| Total (case) |
0
|
69
|
17
|
0
|
45
|
Remarks
- All complaints in 2021 – 2024 were completely investigated, judged and solved a case
Regarding complaints received through other channels, GC has conducted the investigation and established action plans to rectify the issues. Additionally, we develop the appropriate measures to prevent such cases, which may occur in the future. At present, the Corporate Compliance Department has compiled complaints and developed a central database to summarize complaint data for relevant departments, such as Risk Management Department, Internal Control Department, Corporate Governance Department, GRC Department and Internal Audit Department, to analyze causes and risks, review, and offer recommendations to process owners in order to determine additional appropriate control processes.