Introduction

The AIM Rules require the Company to maintain on its website details of a recognised corporate governance code, how the Company complies with that code and an explanation of any deviations from that code. In ensuring good corporate governance, the Company has adopted the Quoted Companies Alliance Corporate Governance Code (the “Code”).

The ten principles of the Code and the Company’s compliance with each of its principles can be found at the following link.

 

Significant areas of the Code and how the Company complies with each of those areas is as follows:

The board of directors

The board of directors (“the Board”) currently comprises one executive director and three non-executive directors, one of whom is the chairman. The roles of chairman and chief executive are split in line with the Code.

The Board meets regularly throughout the year and receives a board pack comprising individual reports from the executive director together with any other material deemed necessary for the Board to discharge its duties. The Board also conducts video conferencing board meetings as issues arise which require Board attention. It is the Board’s responsibility to formulate, review and approve the Group’s strategy, budgets and major items of expenditure. The Board sets the Group’s objectives and policies and monitors the implementation by the executive team.

The Board considers one of the non-executive directors other than the chairman to be independent.

Audit committee

The Board has an audit committee which comprises Khosrow Zamani and John Sununu and is scheduled to meet at least twice a year. The external auditor attends the meeting at which the final audited accounts for each financial year are approved and the chief executive and chief financial officer are invited. It is the audit committee’s role to provide formal and transparent arrangements for considering how to apply the financial reporting and internal control requirements of the Code, whilst maintaining an appropriate relationship with the independent auditor of the Group.

Remuneration committee

The Board has a remuneration committee which comprises Khosrow Zamani and John Sununu and meets as required. It is the remuneration committee’s role to establish a formal and transparent policy on executive remuneration and to set remuneration packages for individual directors.

Nomination committee

The Board has a nomination committee which comprises Khosrow Zamani and John Sununu. It is the role of the nomination committee to review and consider the Board structure and composition and it meets as required to consider and make recommendations on the appointment of directors to the Board.

Health, Safety, Environment and Technology Committee

The Board has a health, safety, environment and technology committee which comprises John Monhemius and Reza Vaziri and meets as required. The committee’s primary function is to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities in the following areas:

  • health, safety, environmental and technological issues relating to the Company;
  • the Company’s compliance with corporate policies that provide processes, procedures and standards to follow in accomplishing the Company’s goals and objectives relating to health, safety and environmental issues, to ensure that the Company’s operations and work practices comply as far as is practicable with the best international standards; and
  • the management of risk related to health, safety, environmental and technological issues.

Shareholder relations

The Board maintains an extensive two-way dialogue with its shareholders. The Board meets shareholders at its annual general meeting each year. Directors and senior management regularly meet shareholders at investor events and other forums. Individual meetings are held with larger shareholders who occasionally visit the Company’s operations in Azerbaijan. The Company also regularly updates shareholders on its activities through press releases via the LSE RNS system. Podcasts and video interviews by senior management are also disseminated via well-known investor web-sites such as Proactive and Vox. The Company has an active and effective investor relations programme that includes institutional road-shows and presentations.

Internal control and risk management

The Company has an established framework of internal financial controls including an audit committee. The Company does not have a formal corporate risk management programme for non-financial risks although the Board regularly discuss and review exposure and management of all risks. The requirement for a formal risk management programme is kept under review and the Company may reassess the need to establish such a programme at a later stage.

The Group does not currently have an internal audit function due to the small size of the Group and limited resources available.

A comprehensive budgeting process is completed once a year and is reviewed by the Board and where appropriate revised forecasts are prepared and also reviewed by the Board. The Group’s results, as compared against budget, are reported to the Board on a monthly basis and discussed in detail at each meeting of the Board.

The Group maintains appropriate insurance cover in respect of legal actions against the directors as well as against material loss or claims against the Group and the Board reviews the adequacy of the cover regularly.