What do international standards and business ethics guidelines say about this? They do not ban companies from making contributions in cash or kind to political parties. In-kind contributions could include the provision to political parties of free-of-charge facilities, such as use of meeting places or corporate jets, or paid leave-of-absence for an employee to campaign on behalf of a party. Corporate contributions fund election campaigns in many countries, not least the United States.
The “Business Principles for Countering Bribery” published by Transparency International (TI), the leading global NGO working on corruption, state that if a business wants to make a contribution to a political party, it is important that this decision is made according to local law, which in some countries imposes disclosure requirements or an upper limit on political contributions. The contribution should be recorded in writing, undertaken openly, and ideally published in annual reports or some other form. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
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