This article first appeared in La Tercera on December 05, 2017.
One of the issues that have generated the most uncertainty is the question of how Chile can diversify its productive matrix, given its high dependence on copper as the driving force of the economy. I would precisely like to dwell on this point because exporting services has become a tangible way to move away from the idea that the red metal is the so-called “Chile’s salary”.
The world is changing, today it is easier than ever to export services and that is what is happening with compliance. According to Roy Snell’s definition, compliance is the way to use the tools that companies have intelligently and efficiently, to prevent, find and repair problems (of corruption such as bribery, money laundering, financing of terrorism, and receiving).
In the last few months I have been to Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina, Spain, and Germany and I have never felt so proud to be Chilean. Seeing from up close how all these countries are eager to know how we implemented in 2009 the law of criminal liability of legal persons to enter the OECD, realizes that our experience is invaluable: we have a wide advantage so we can export this service.
Cases such as Corpesca showed that having a model of good practices is not enough and that solutions to prove that the company did everything in its power to prevent corruption offenses are perfectly exportable.
Generating evidence on the management of a company in its different areas allows to have real control over what is done, what is omitted, and what is not done in a firm and that is precisely the work of the certifiers, which beyond delivering an accreditation that remains on the desk, makes an effective follow-up, all in favor of good corporate practices.
With this, in addition to contributing to diversifying our exports, we do a good thing to the countries that have not yet implemented or are in the process of implementing the law of criminal liability of legal persons that prosecutes bribery, money laundering, financing of terrorism and receiving. Nearby cases such as Odebrecht show that any company, regardless of its size or line of business, can be involved in cases of corruption, we must not lose sight of that.
By Susana Sierra
