Declaration of Facilitation Payment Made or Requested and Resisted Form

Staff should notify the University Secretary, Finance Director, Chief Auditor or Director of Human Resources as soon as possible after the offence taking place.

Requests for facilitation payments, whether paid or not, must be formally registered using this form, within 10 working days of request.

Some key points on facilitation payments are on the reverse of this form for your information.

Name (block capitals) / Dept and Unit
Contact details
Date of request made
Name and/or organisation of person requesting payment/favour/inducement
Type of favour or inducement requested. If financial payment requested, please state value
Describe the situation in detail. Include location, witness details, etc
Did you inform the FCO? Please give details of informing the FCO (if applicable) and attach any information supplied by them/any acknowledgement.
If you refused to pay the facilitation payment please tick box
Signed / Date
Authorised signature / Date

Please keep a copy of this form for your records and forward a copy to the Chief Auditor.

Key Points

Facilitation payments are small, unofficial financial payments or other advantages (either directly or indirectly) made to secure or expedite the performance of a routine or necessary action to which the payer of the facilitation payment has legal or other entitlement.

Facilitation payments do not only arise in relation to government officials – any payment to “smooth the way” that is not legally and ethically justifiable is potentially relevant.

A bribe does not actually have to take place – just promising to give or agreeing to receive a bribe is prohibited.

Further advice should be sought to distinguish between properly payable fees and disguised requests for facilitation payments. Where there is any doubt or suspicion that a payment might be considered a facilitation payment, then payment should be made only if the official or third party can provide a formal receipt or written confirmation of its legality.Wherever practicable, obtain senior management approval for the payment.

Where demands for payment are accompanied by actual or implied threat to personal safety, then safety should be the first priority. In these exceptional emergencies, payment should be made and the incident reported immediately to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) via the local embassy or consulate. Copies of any information supplied to the FCO and any acknowledgement from then should be retained. In addition, circumstances should be reported to the University Secretary, Chief Auditor and relevant PRO immediately on return to the UK.

No employee or Senior Manager will suffer penalty or other adverse consequences for refusing to pay bribes even if a refusal may result in loss of business or a delay in proceedings.

No disciplinary action will be taken against employees who have made a facilitation payment where their personal safety has been at risk.

Human Resources HRF093
March 2016
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