Ethics, Corporate Governance & Responsibility

Tamkali Limited as an independent professional consultancy provides services to the public and operates through its member affiliations under the Code of Ethics of both the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (CIQS) as well as the guidelines of being a Responsible Business as published by the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors (RICS) as follows. 

 A Responsible Business in the broadest terms includes compliance with the RICS Rules of Conduct, which is published on the RICS website: www.rics.org

The RICS Rules of Conduct sets out the standards of professional conduct and practice that are expected of all RICS members, students, trainees, and regulated firms. These Rules provide a strong foundation for RICS, its professionals, and the firms it regulates, helping to protect the public and uphold the reputation of the profession. The Rules of Conduct demonstrate to clients, consumers and the public the high professional standards that RICS professionals and firms work to. Being able to show that you are a qualified RICS professional or that your firm is regulated by RICS provides independent external confidence.

The Rules of Conduct for Members are mandatory for all RICS professionals, students and trainees regardless of their geographic location and sector of practice.

The purpose of the Code of Ethics is to give general statements of the principles of ethical conduct in order that the Designation Holders of CIQS may fulfill their duty to the public, the profession of Quantity Surveying and their fellow Designation Holders.

The following Code of Ethics shall be construed as a general guide and not as a denial of the existence of other duties and rights equally imperative though not specifically mentioned. The Designation Holders are bound by its provisions just as they are bound by the provisions of the CIQS By-laws, and National Standards. The CIQS Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is published on the CIQS website: www.ciqs.org

Hold paramount their obligations toward humanity and the environment and devote themselves to high ideals of personal honour and professional integrity; extend and enhance public knowledge and regard for Quantity Surveying by expressing opinions that are founded on adequate Knowledge and honest conviction; undertake only such work as they are competent to perform by virtue of their training and experience, and where advisable, retain and cooperate with other Designation Holders to ensure the highest standard of service; accept responsibility by signing and sealing only work done by themselves or under their personal and direct supervision; maintain confidentially and avoid a conflict of interest, but where such conflict arises, fully disclose the circumstances without delay to the employer or client; support and defend the principle of appropriate and adequate remuneration for the performance of their work; advertise or promote in a manner that is not injurious to the public or to the dignity of the profession of Quantity Surveying and report or expose without fear or favour any illegal or unethical professional decisions or practices by other Designation Holders; maintain proficiency and competence and contribute to the development of the profession through the exchange of knowledge and experience; uphold the name and title of the Institute and protect the Institute from misrepresentation and misunderstanding.

Bribery and corruption - In relation to bribery and corruption RICS-regulated firms must:

• not offer or accept, directly or indirectly, anything that could constitute a bribe
• have plans in place to comply with applicable laws governing bribery and corruption, and ensure that these are followed
• report any activity they are aware of that breaches anti-bribery and corruption laws to the relevant authorities (as specified in local legislation); where there is no local legislation the activity should be recorded and, if possible, reported to a senior manager
• act with due diligence to perform periodic written evaluations of the risks that face the firm and that may lead to the facilitation of bribery or corruption; in determining Countering bribery, corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing the appropriate level of due diligence, the firm may consider the type of business activities they engage in and the environment in which they operate
• retain information detailing how the firm has met the requirements of this professional statement.

In relation to bribery and corruption RICS members must:

• not offer or accept, directly or indirectly, anything that could constitute a bribe
• ensure that they have adequate knowledge of bribery and corruption to be able to comply with the requirements of this professional statement
• report any activity they are aware of that breaches applicable anti-bribery and corruption laws to the relevant authorities (as specified in local legislation); where there is no local legislation the activity should be recorded and, if possible, reported to a senior manager.

Money laundering and terrorist financing - In relation to money laundering and terrorist financing RICS-regulated firms must:

• not facilitate or be complicit in money laundering or terrorist financing activities
• have systems and training in place to comply with these laws, and ensure these are followed
• report any suspicions of money laundering or terrorist financing activities to the relevant authorities (as specified in local legislation); where there is no local legislation the activity should be recorded and, if possible, reported to a senior manager
• evaluate and review periodically the risks that prospective and existing business relationships present in terms of money laundering or terrorist financing offences taking place
• ensure that their responses to the risks identified are appropriate, including conducting appropriate checks on clients and customers
• use reliance only where there is an appropriate level of confidence in the quality of the information provided by the third party – reliance should only be taken from third parties with standards conforming to the legal requirements, that provide the obliged market participant with a complete exchange of all legally required AML information regarding the identified party and only by confirming the identity and verification of identity of the client or counterparty in question; ultimate responsibility for the assessment of risk and actions taken based on this remain with the member or regulated firm
• take appropriate measures to understand the client and the purpose of the transaction
• verify the identity of their client by undertaking basic identity checks
• record and retain information detailing how the firm has met the requirements of this professional statement.

In relation to money laundering and terrorist financing RICS members must:

• not facilitate or be complicit in money laundering or terrorist financing activities
• report any suspicions of money laundering or terrorist financing activities to the relevant authorities (as specified in local legislation); where there is no local legislation the activity should be recorded and, if possible, reported to a senior manager.