Communication between the Board and shareholders

Beneficial communications between the Board and shareholders would include interim updates that are in addition to the mandatory financial statements. Updates that shareholders would find useful include: a discussion of the significant factors that affected the company's interim performance, relevant market trends, and the foreseeable risks and opportunities that may have a material impact on the company's prospects. Such information provides shareholders a better understanding of the company's performance in the context of the current business environment.

Investor relations policy

Maintaining and disclosing an investor relations policy serves to facilitate effective two-way communication between the company and its shareholders. An investor relations policy informs shareholders on how the company will engage them (e.g. interim updates, as described above, or scheduled shareholder engagement events), and how they can communicate with the company (refer to “Mechanisms for contacting the company”, below). Implementing and publicizing these engagement channels on the company’s website enhances accessibility to shareholders.

A stated investor relations policy also helps to align the stakeholders within the company (e.g. the board, management and the personnel in charge of investor relations) with a coordinated approach to investor engagement.

Mechanisms for contacting the company

Companies should have a dedicated investor relations contact, via an online submission form, email address or contact number, through which shareholders are able to ask questions and receive responses in a timely manner. As shareholder concerns are different from business or customer issues, it is appropriate to have separate and dedicated investor relations contact points. It is also appropriate for these contact points to be operated by the company’s investor relations department or company secretary, as they are acquainted with the matters that investors would be concerned with. The board should have the investor relations function provide regular updates on the feedback received from investors.

Where the company has a lead independent director (Lead ID), the company should provide information as to how shareholders can contact the Lead ID directly, rather than having to go through the company.