Anti Corruption

Norges Vel’s efforts to combat financial irregularities

In accordance with Norges Vel’s cooperation agreement with Norad, QZA-0881 QZA-19/0271 Poverty reduction through business development and formal cooperation, Norges Vel shall make public a description of its efforts to combat financial irregularities in its operations the previous year, as well as any closed cases of financial irregularities.

Report for 2022

Capacity building of Norges Vel staff in 2022

Norges Vel continue to follow the routines set out in our Anti-corruption handbook and policy both in our project and in Norway. During 2022, as part of our learning program, all Norway-based and local Norges Vel staff was gathered in Norway where anti-corruption capacity building was a central topic presented by our new controller and openly discussed across projects and what if scenarios.

Partner visits 2022

An important part of Norges Vel’s anti-corruption work will normally be the discussions and controls that are on the agenda when we visit our partners and after two years with travel restrictions, all partners were visited by the project leader in 2022 and both Tanzania and Mozambique were visited by our controller late 2021 or 2022.

Tight follow-up of young companies in Tanzania

There has been a tight follow-up of the two rice companies in Tanzania by the Norges Vel office in the country, to capacitate the staff and monitor the activities and different management systems to make sure that they operate well. This has been of great value, as two of the Tanzanian partners are newly established companies that needs assistance to develop routines and policies to secure safe and transparent financial management. Some of the funds have also been handled directly by the Norges Vel office in Tanzania instead of being transferred to the two companies.

Norad audit Rice Council of Tanzania

Our Tanzanian partner, Rice Council of Tanzania (RCT), was selected by Norad’s internal audit and investigation department for a spot check in 2022. This was welcomed both by Norges Vel and our local partner and both the visit and the final report showed that there are good routines and systems in place for good financial and administrative routines.

Due Dilligence assessment of partners

Norges Vel assess our partners on financial management, internal control, organisation, and statutory compliance, planning and budgeting and anti-corruption related policies. Partners are assessed before entering partnership agreements and regularly through the partnership, and weaknesses are improved in collaboration with the partner.  

External auditing

External auditing was done according to Norges Vel’s routines and demands and donor requirements. A follow-up plan will be agreed on for all the partners and will be followed up by the Norges Vel Controller in collaboration with project leaders and local staff.

In addition to the ordinary audit Norges Vel’s Controller has “sit downs” with each of the auditors where they are asked to comment on the internal control routines and maturity of our partner organizations. This meeting is done after the audit is concluded where the numbers are not on the agenda, but the aim is to provide the auditor an opportunity to discuss matters they have been made aware of that are not a part of the ordinary audit – without any representatives from the partner organizations present. By doing this annually we expect to get better information of where our partners need to improve their competence, where risks and opportunities related to fraud is in the organization and how to introduce routines to reduce the opportunity to conduct fraud.

Enhanced competence on anti-corruption work

To strengthen our competence on anti-corruption work, Norges Vel was also in 2022 participating in the anti-corruption network initiated by the Norwegian civil society and we are a member of Transparency International.

Whistleblowing channel

Norges Vel has a whistleblowing channel, https://www.norgesvel.com/whistle-blowing, where any suspicion of financial irregularities, harassments or other misconduct, can be reported to Norges Vel.  

Norges Vel has a focus on informing about and encourage to use the whistleblowing channel and other available formal and informal channels to all involved in Norges Vel’s projects.  

All partners have signed Norges Vel’s policy to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA).

No financial irregularities in 2022

Norges Vel were not involved in any cases of financial irregularities in 2022.