5.1 Structure of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors consists of knowledgeable members in diverse fields useful for Company’s business. The Board has important role in setting up policies and overall image of the organization, including supervising, auditing and evaluating performance of the Company against the given plans to ensure that they are in line with the laws, regulations, and resolutions of the shareholders’ meeting with honesty, ethics and under code of conduct. It shall supervise management tasks of the executives to ensure that they are as per specified targets and guidelines for the maximum benefits to the Company and shareholders.
The Company specifies that the Audit Committee shall be at least one thirds of the Board of Directors and at least 3 must be the Independent Directors for balance on casting vote while considering matters.
At present, the Board of Directors consists of 7 members, 4 of them are non-executive directors who are qualified to be Independent Directors (3 out of 4 are members of the Audit Committee) and 3 executive directors (i.e. Managing Director and 2 deputy managing directors).
The Company’s articles of association specified that during every annual general meeting, one-third of directors shall retire. If the number of directors is not a multiple of three, then the number of directors closest to one-third shall retire. The directors who shall retire in the first year and the second year after the registration of the Company shall be selected by drawing lot, and for subsequently years, the directors whose term of office are the longest shall retire. A retired director may be re-appointed.
The Board of Directors has appointed the Sub-committees, namely the Executive Committee, the Audit Committee, the Nomination and Remuneration and the Risk Management Committee to conduct specific matters and propose matters to the Board of Directors for consideration or acknowledgement. Such sub-committees shall have rights and duties as per specified in their scope of duty and responsibilities.
The Board of Directors has a policy that the Chairman of the Board and the Managing Director shall not be the same person. Roles and responsibilities of the Board and that of the executives are clearly defined and segregated with balance of power. Whereas the Board of Directors has duties to establish policies and oversee operations of the executives at the policy level, while the executives have duties to manage businesses pursuant to the specified policies.
The Board of Directors has appointed the Corporate Secretary who shall have duties and responsibilities as per specified by the Securities and Exchange Act.
5.2 Roles, Duties and Responsibilities of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors has duties to consider and provide opinions on important matters concerning business operations of the Company, such as vision and mission, strategies, risks, plan of actions and budget as well as to monitor the performance of
The executives to ensure their efficiency and effectiveness on compliance with the specified policies and plans of action.
Segregation of duties between policies setting and routine management
The Board of Directors has segregated power, duties and responsibilities on establishing supervisory policies and routine management clearly. The Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Managing Director are appointed by the Board of Directors and
the Chairman and the Managing Director are two separate individuals. The Chairman shall take the lead and have key roles in making decision concerning Company’s policies as a result of the meetings of the Board of Directors under business objectives jointly considered and established by the Board and the executives and ensure that the Board meetings are successfully conducted. During each meeting, all directors are encouraged to actively participate as well as express their opinions independently. The Chairman shall also act as a chairman of the shareholders’ meeting of the Company. However, the Chairman shall not participate in routine tasks but shall support and give advice on business operations to the executives through the Managing Director constantly. The Managing Director shall be responsible for business management under the power authorized by the Board of Directors.
Policy on Corporate Governance
The Meeting of the Board of Directors No. 1/2010 on May 6, 2010 has approved a written corporate governance policy and the Board shall review the policy and its compliance regularly. The Company has communicated with everyone in the organization about correct and mutual understandings about ethical standards for business dealings and encouraged everyone to comply with such specified policy.
Code of Conduct
The Board of Directors adheres to equitable and fair business operations and specifies a written code of conduct to put into practice and disseminate to the employees as practical guidelines. Objectives are to express its intention to conduct business with transparently, ethically and responsibility to the stakeholders, by taking into consideration societies and environment through trainings and various communications within the organization. Such code of conducts shall reflect goodwill and practical guidelines to be observed by all employees. Ethical framework include respect and comply with laws, interests and conflicts of interests, use of inside information and maintenance of confidential information, internal control system and internal audit, receipt and giving of gifts, assets or other benefits, intellectual properties, information technology and communication, political rights and impartiality, employees treatment and responsibility to stakeholders.
The Company has announced and informed all employees for their acknowledgement and strictly compliance.
Conflict of interest
The Company’s policy concerning conflict of interest is based on principle that any decision making on business operations shall be based on maximum profits of the Company and shall avoid any acts which can cause conflict of interest. The directors, executives and employees shall review and disclose transactions with conflict of interest for the Company’s acknowledgement, as well as to inform their relationship or connection with such transaction. During any consideration, person who is related to or connected with such transaction shall not participate in consideration and shall not have power to authorize for such transaction. Any undertaking to be conducted shall bear in mind about its suitability, prices and conditions, like conducting transactions with the third party.
The Audit Committee shall proposed the related transactions and transactions with conflict with interest to the Board of Directors and they shall be carefully considered to ensure compliance with criteria of the Stock Exchange of Thailand and they shall be disclosed in the annual report and Form 56-1.
The members of the Board of Directors and the executive of the Company shall include their spouses and children under legal age. When there is a change in securities holding of the Company, they shall notify the Company and submit a report on a change of securities holding to the Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission under Clause 59 of the Securities and
Exchange Act B.E. 2553 within 3 working days after the date such shares have been purchased, sold, transferred or accepted transfer. In addition, the directors, executives or working units that can access to inside information are prohibited to disclose such information to the third party or other people who do not have related responsibilities. They are also prohibited to purchase and sale of securities of the Company within 1 month before disclosure of financial statement to the public and at least 3 days after disclosure of such information to prevent any wrongfully use of inside information.
Internal Control System
The Board of Directors places importance on good corporate governance and internal control systems, both at management and operation level. Internal control system is a key mechanism to provide confidence to the executives to reduce business risks, support effective business operations by allocating properly resources to achieve the targeted objectives. It can prevent assets from leakage, lost or wrongfully exploited. It can also make annual report accurately and credibility, including can help the personnel to comply with related laws and regulations as well as to protect the shareholders’ investments. As a result, the Company has defined a clearly written policy on duties, operational powers of the executives and employees, on control usage of the
Company’s assets, including to appropriated segregate the operating person, the supervising person and the evaluating person for purpose of balance of power and cross checking.
The Board assigns the Audit Committee to audit suitability and efficiency of internal control systems established by the executives, relating to operation, financial reporting, compliance with rules, regulations, policies and corporate governance including risk management. The Board also emphasizes on advance warning signs and irregular transactions. The Company has engaged Pitisevi Office to be the Company’s internal auditor to audit and ensure that the Company has adequate and proper internal control systems. For full independency and balance of power, such internal auditor shall directly report to the Audit Committee. The Company shall constantly follow up and evaluate adequacy of the internal control systems at least once a year to ensure effectiveness of the system.
Risk Management
The Board is aware of the importance of risk management and is responsible for defining overall risk management policy of the organization, assessing risk and managing them to be in acceptable level. The Board has appointed Risk Management Committee which comprised Mr. Chanchai Jivacate, Mr. Kitti Jivacate, Miss Nilrat Jarumanopas, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aekkachai Nittayagasetwat, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Paritud Bhandhubanyong and Miss Jeerapan Jinda to oversee and make sure that risk management is effective and is compliance with the specified policies. Overall principles are that there shall be measures to tackle any risks that might prevent achievement of the planned business operations. The Company also encourages and stimulates everybody to build up working culture that realizes importance of risks and understands their cause then corrects them, for instance improving working procedures, using resource properly as well as using tools to prevent or mitigate any possible risks. The abovementioned systematic operations can provide new business opportunities which can add value to the organization.
Report of the Board of Directors of the Company
The Board is responsible for the financial statement of the Company and assigns the Audit Committee to audit and prepare the financial report in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles. The Company’s important information must be adequately and transparently disclosed. Accounting Department and/or the auditor shall have joint meting and present financial report to the Board of Director every quarter. The Board of Directors is responsible for the Company’s financial information including financial information system (Report on Responsibilities of the Board of Directors to the Financial Report) as presented in the annual report. Such financial statement has been prepared pursuant to generally accepted accounting standards and has been audited by D I A International Auditing Co., Ltd., the Company’s auditor. Disclosure of important information system including financial and non-financial information shall be based on complete facts and on regularly basis.
5.3 The Meeting of the Board of Directors
Generally, the Board shall have a meeting every 3 months and an extraordinary meeting may be arranged in case of necessity. For each meeting, a clear agendum is specified with correct, complete and adequate supporting documents submitted to each director in advance prior to the meeting so that the director can have time to study information before attending the meeting,
Except in case of emergency. Minutes of meeting of the previous meetings which have been approved from the Board of Directors’ meeting shall be kept and available for inspection any time. Furthermore, the Company must prepare and submit a monthly performance report to the Board of Directors for acknowledgement, so that the Board can be informed of the Company’s business
and can supervise operations of the executives continually and in due time.
During the meeting, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Managing Director shall jointly set agenda for each Board meeting and each Board member is allowed to suggest agenda items.
The Chairman shall lead the meeting and all other directors are encouraged to express their views independently. Top executive may attend the meeting during some agenda to provide detailed information that they are responsible for and to be informed of the policy directly. Resolution of the Board of Directors’ meeting shall be made by a majority of votes where each director shall have one vote. The director who might have any conflict of interest shall not attend the meeting and/or shall not cast the vote. In the event of a tie, the chairman of the meeting shall have an additional casting vote.
All committee members are entitled to inspect meeting document and other important document and if the Independent Director or the Audit Committee has any inquiries, other committees and the executives of the Company shall answer such inquiries accurately and as soon as possible.
In the event where the committee does not agree with the resolution of the meeting, such committee may ask the Company’s secretary to record such disagreement in minute of meeting or submit an objection notice to the Chairman of the Board.
The Company’s secretary shall attend the Board of Directors’ meeting every time to record a minute and submit it to the Chairman of the Board to sign and certify. Such minute shall be proposed to the meeting in advance prior to the meeting. Moreover, the Board of Directors has a policy that non-executive directors shall hold meeting among themselves exclusively to consider important problems relating to the management of the Company and notify the Managing Director of the results of the meeting. The participation of each committee member can be summarized as follows
| |
Participation/Total Meeting (Times) |
2010 |
| |
Board of
Director
6 times |
Audit
Committee
5 times |
Executive
Committee
8 times |
Risk
Management
Committee
1 time |
Nomination
&Remuneration Committee
2 times |
| 1. Mr. Chanchai Jivacate |
6/6 |
- |
- |
1/1 |
- |
| 2. Mr. Kitti Jivacate |
6/6 |
- |
8/8 |
1/1 |
- |
| 3. Miss Nilrat Jarumanopas |
6/6 |
- |
8/8 |
1/1 |
- |
| 4. Mr. Chatchaphol Prasopchoke |
6/6 |
- |
7/8 |
- |
- |
| 5. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aekkachai Nittayagasetwat |
6/6 |
5/5 |
- |
1/1 |
2/2 |
| 6. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Paritud Bhandhubanyong |
6/6 |
5/5 |
- |
1/1 |
2/2 |
| 7. Miss Jeerapan Jinda |
6/6 |
5/5 |
- |
1/1 |
2/2 |
Note :
- Directors No. 1, 4-7 who are Mr. Chanchai Jivacate, Mr. Chatchaphol Prasopchoke, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aekkachai Nittayagasetwat, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Paritud Bhandhubanyong and Miss Jeerapan Jinda have been appointed as directors on January 28, 2010.
- During the meeting of the Board of Directors No. 1/2010 on February 2, 2010, the meeting has resolved to appoint the Audit Committee, Risk Management Committee and Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
- The meeting of the Board of Directors No. 2/2010 on April 1, 2010, has resolved to appoint the Executive Committee.
5.4 Remuneration
The remuneration policy of the Company for the directors and the executives is appropriated and is based on the Company’s performance and consistency with the same group of business/industry including appropriateness to duties and responsibilities of each director and executive. Remunerations are provided in committees’ remuneration and/or salary and bonus.
Remuneration to the Committees and the Sub-committees the 2010 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders dated April 22, 2010 has approved remuneration to the Committees and the Sub-committees as per details in Clause of Remuneration to the Committees and the Executives.
Remuneration to the Managing Director and the executives The Company carefully considers about remuneration to the Company’s executives to ensure that it is appropriated and in comparable rate with the same group of business in order to attract and retain the qualified executives. The executives with greater duty and responsibilities are paid more.
5.5 Development of the Board of Directors and the Executives
The Board of Directors has a policy to encourage and facilitate on provision of trainings to all relevant directors who have roles on supervising the Company’s performance, such as directors, members of the Audit Committee, executives and etc to enable them to continuously improve their performance. Every time there is a change in director or a new director, the Company shall provide a new director with material and useful information for fulfilling his/her duty as well as an introduction to the Company’s various businesses and business direction.
The use of Inside Information
For transparency and prevention of personal gains from use of the Company’s inside information which has not been disclosed to the public as well as for avoidance of any criticism concerning an appropriateness on purchase and sales shares by the internal people, the Company, therefore, has established the operating guidelines to be observed by the Company’s directors, executives and employees as follows:
- The Company’s directors, executives and employees shall maintain confidentiality and/or inside information of the Company by not disclosing it or using it for his/her own benefits or for benefits of the third party directly and indirectly. They shall not purchase, sell, transfer or accept transfer the Company’s share by using confidentiality and/or inside information of the Company and/or undertake any legal action by using confidentiality and/or inside information of the Company which might pose damages to the Company, directly or indirectly.
- 2. The directors, executives, employees in the working unit who can obtain inside information shall not use such information before it is disclosed to the public and shall not purchase, sell, transfer or accept transfer shares of the Company during the 1 month period prior to the quarterly or yearly financial statement has been disclosed to the public and at least 3 days after the disclosure of such information.
In addition, such requirement shall also apply to spouse and children under legal age of the Company’s directors, executives and employees. Those who violate shall be subject to disciplinary or legally penalty, as the case may be.
5.6 Personnel
As at December 31, 2010, the Company has total 36 employees (excluding the executives) and all of them are permanent employees which can be divided into each line of business as follows:
Department |
Number of Employee |
Sales |
13 |
Warehouse and Transportation |
7 |
Accounting and Finance |
4 |
General Administration |
12 |
Total |
36 |
- Employees’ remuneration
In 2010, total remuneration paid by the Company was Baht 16.19 million comprising of salaries, cost of living, commission for sales of goods, vehicle cost, provident fund, social security fund, bonus and other benefits (excluding the executives).
- Provident Fund
The Company has established a provident fund since February 1, 2004 with SCB Asset Management Co., Ltd. Later, on July 30, 2009, the provident fund manager has been transferred to Kasikorn Asset Management Co., Ltd. with objective to strengthen morale support to the employees and to motivate them to work with the Company for a long run.
- Other remunerations
--N/A—
- Personnel Development Policy
The Company has a policy for personnel development constantly, beginning from recruitment process. The Company provides training both within the country and abroad to enhance their capability and skills pursuant to their responsibilities at each level, so that they can work effectively and efficiently which shall strengthen the organizational performance. Annual Report 2010 148 Universal