Safaricom - 2021 Sustainable Business Report

81 SAFARICOM SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS REPORT 2021 / STANDING TOGETHER: GOING BEYOND / OUR MATERIAL TOPICS //// OUR STAKEHOLDERS / KPI SUMMARY REGULATORS ENGAGING IN DIALOGUE Regulators play a critical role in our business. In our industry, the regulator ensures that the products and services we offer are structured in a responsible, ethical and environmentally sensitive manner, thereby helping us maintain and strengthen our commitment to the UN SDGs. As an example, the Communications Authority (CA) of Kenya advocates for the adoption of green energy when rolling out towers and sharing of infrastructure to reduce overall impact in the ecosystem (SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy). We provide our customers with adequate information and support to access and enjoy our services, while respecting their rights within regulatory stipulations. We understand the need to compete for business fairly and to play our part in helping to empower and transform the lives of Kenyans through innovation and investment. We are overseen by eight regulatory authorities and our chief regulator is the CA, which is the regulatory authority for the Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) sector in Kenya. Our ongoing engagement with regulators ensures that upcoming policies, regulations and regulatory interventions do not undermine our existing products or services. Our interaction with our regulators is based on four pillars: • Comply: Proactively ensure compliance with all licence obligations, legislation, regulations, by-laws and regulatory guidelines. • Engage: Actively engage with regulators and industry bodies through face-to-face meetings and written submissions when changes to the existing business environment are under discussion. • Discuss: Facilitate workshops and information sessions with regulators, members of the media and affected stakeholders to discuss public policy issues affecting the industry. • Attend: Be present at stakeholder workshops and engage on behalf of the telecommunications and technology industries. OUR HIGHLIGHTS • We partnered with GSMA to sponsor the Policy Leaders Forum at the virtual GSMA Thrive Africa conference in September 2020. Stakeholders from government, regulatory bodies and operators met at this forum to discuss policy issues affecting the industry. • Even with the switch from physical meetings to the use of virtual platforms, we managed to keep the channels of communication open. ISSUES FOR REGULATORS • Governance of financial products and services.