Internal control practice

In order to ensure the implementation of corporate governance and strengthen internal control and audit operations, Sesoda has set up an independent audit office under the board of directors. The audit office schedules an annual audit plan every year. After the board of directors passes it, it actively reviews the operating procedures of each plant and increases the control of the operating system and to prevent violations of the Code of Conduct in the implementation of internal audits. In addition to the annual audit plan, the audit office conducts on-site audits or document reviews based on risk, as well as irregular and special purposes. Project audits at various factories and regular audits of management systems such as ISO.

Audition Process

稽核作業流程

The Audit Office assists each department in self-inspection of the internal control system, senior supervisors' inspection and diagnosis operations every year. The Audit Office also provides timely improvement suggestions to assist the board of directors and managers in checking and reviewing the deficiencies of the internal control system, as well as measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, as to be reasonable ensure the continuous and effective implementation of operational effects, compliance with laws and regulations, and financial reporting, and serve as a basis for review and revision of the internal control system. In addition, the audit supervisor will attend the board of directors to conduct audit business reports. The monthly internal audit reports and quarterly audit follow-up reports are submitted to independent directors for review. If a major violation or the company is in danger of major damage, the audit office is required Make a report immediately and notify the independent directors. A total of 196 audit projects were implemented in 2019, and the audit compliance rate reached 100%.

2019內稽實施成果

Risk Management

Risk Project Risk Description How Sesoda takes
Financial risk
  • Interest rate risk and financial leverage risk: Rapid interest rate hikes and substantial interest rate hikes will increase the company's costs and affect operating liquidity.
  • Exchange rate risk: Group business transactions are not a single currency, and exchange rates may affect the company's additional costs and risks.

Current implementation measures:
The company has been operating stably. In addition to general company operations, market demand and company surplus funds are considered when making capital expenditures, and planned gradual expansion. The current surplus is sufficient to fully meet the capital expenditure needs of the industry; investment also fully considers the company Cast out after ability. Borrowing is only a short-term capital demand turnover, and the time is extremely short, so the interest rate risk is low. As for the capital-intensive ship transportation business, because of the floating interest rate, when interest rates rise rapidly, the burden of borrowing interest will greatly increase the risk.

Future goals

  1. Adopt a reasonable financial leverage ratio to control the overall cost.
  2. Capital expenditure is to enter into long-term financing contracts with financial institutions, and negotiate with financing institutions to lock in short-term interest rates for 3 to 6 months to reduce the immediate impact of interest rate changes and short-term costs.
  3. Increase the investment of own capital in a timely manner, reduce the total amount of borrowings and reduce the impact of changes in financing interest rates.
  4. When cash flow permits, reduce the loan balance.
  5. Due to the proportion of business and trade, the company adopts natural hedging methods.
  6. Another important business, "ship transportation business", whose main currency income and expenditure are US dollars, so it is naturally hedging; if there are major contracts of different currencies, there are also financial quotas that can be used as financial instruments to lock in exchange rates to avoid risks.
  7. The company does not do speculative derivatives transactions, so there is no risk of related uncertainty.
Market competition risk
  • The continuous development of new production capacity and the expansion of existing production capacity have caused an imbalance of oversupply.
  • Price competition may cause difficult sales, lower profits or even loss.
  • Potassium chloride is also one of the main potash fertilizers, and its production cost is cheaper than potassium sulfate, and when the price difference is too high, it is relatively more substituted.

Current implementation measures

  1. Expand production capacity, fully produce and sell fully, and reduce manufacturing costs.
  2. Seek to cooperate with other suppliers to avoid vicious competition.
  3. Actively grasp the market price trend, so that it can gain an advantage in the price of raw materials.

Future goals
Continue to improve the manufacturing process and strengthen product differentiation.

Operational risk
  • Production uncertainties such as environmental safety, government policies, process instability, etc.
  • Climate factors change demand and cause operational problems.
  • Market demand and competition.
  • The operator's inheritance fault, training, and experience are insufficient.

Current implementation measures

  1. Always pay attention to the new government policies and make necessary improvements.
  2. Complementary and regular training courses for new recruits.
  3. The machine implements TPM, and prepares spare parts for emergency needs.
  4. In response to market needs, RD will upgrade its products.

Future goals
Seek opportunities for cooperation with other suppliers in the same industry.

Environmental pollution risk Polluting the environment and being punished by the competent authority.

Current implementation measures

  1. Strictly control and monitor the emission reduction of air, water, and waste in the manufacturing process to achieve the goal of zero pollution.
  2. Strengthen the operation and inspection of anti-pollution equipment, and continue to maintain and maintain pollution prevention equipment.
  3. Encourage the classification of business waste, implement waste reduction and resource recovery.
  4. Implement an environmental management system, strengthen employee education and training, and strengthen emergency response capabilities.
  5. The production process implements operating environment testing, and the plant is greened and planted to establish a clean operating environment.

Future goals
Continuously improve the pollution prevention and control work of the Suao Plant and the greening and beautification of the plant, and promise to continue to improve and enhance the corporate image.

Risk of interruption of raw material supply
  • The main raw materials for the production of potassium sulfate are sulfuric acid and potassium chloride. We all adopt a long-term single supply, which may cause the crisis of raw material supply out of stock.
  • There is room for missing or no inventory in inventory control.
  • The supplier produces the factors of the condition or shipping period during the shipment.

Current implementation measures

  1. Establish an inventory center to ensure that there is sufficient storage space and monitoring of the minimum inventory, and maintain close communication channels with suppliers at any time.
  2. Master the timeliness of shipping.

Future goal
Evaluate and expand other suppliers.

Air and traffic risks in the communities around the factory
  • Dust causing doubts among residents in surrounding communities.
  • The transportation of raw materials into the factory and product shipment may affect the surrounding traffic conditions.
  • Trucks for raw materials entering the factory or product shipments are covered or protected by protective covers to prevent dust from escaping.
  • Transport vehicles travel on the factory area and nearby roads, and the driving speed is reduced to 20 kilometers per hour to reduce traffic accidents and noise.
  • Continue to enter the budget of the four major projects and install monitoring equipment so that the company can monitor emission quality at any time and strengthen environmental protection.
    1. Inorganic sludge washing project of calcium chloride workshop.
    2. The rain and sewage diversion system of the whole plant.
    3. Potassium sulfate plant operation data storage system and attached optical fiber installation project.
    4. Hydrochloric acid gas and dust detection instrument and auxiliary cable installation project.
Climate change risk Due to the impact of the greenhouse effect, climates around the world have fluctuated, with droughts, high temperatures, and heavy rains in various regions, resulting in desertification, depletion of arable land, and lack of water resources.
  • Sesoda mainly manufactures potassium sulfate fertilizers, which are used in the cultivation and fertilization of crops, considering the fertilization characteristics of potassium sulfate, the requirements of rational fertilization and the good use of water resources. In recent years, we have researched and developed water-soluble potassium sulfate fertilizers and granular potassium sulfate fertilizers. Water-soluble potassium sulfate fertilizer is mainly used to fertilize large areas of crops in water-deficient areas. The use of fertilizers that are fully soluble in water allows crop growers to fertilize while supplementing crop moisture. In addition to saving agricultural manpower, it also educates farmers. The correct understanding of the use of potassium sulfate fertilizer is to understand the importance of saving agricultural water.
  • Granular potassium sulfate fertilizer is mainly used for mechanical fertilization. Its granular characteristics can slowly dissolve fertilizer in the soil, allowing crops to absorb slowly, extending the period of fertilizer replenishment, and preventing sudden rainstorms from dissolving the applied fertilizer to take it away, saving crop growers the manpower needed to fertilize multiple times and the effective use of fertilizer.
  • In recent years, due to the diversified development of potassium sulfate fertilizer products in response to the needs of the agricultural market, although climate change issues affect the cultivation of crops, the risk is increased, but our products have developed new products in response to changes in fertilization methods, which have turned into opportunities. Water-soluble potassium sulfate fertilizer products account for about 60% of the total potassium sulfate fertilizer product shipments.
Compliance risk The company has an illegal record, causing direct financial losses, loss of investor confidence, and damage to the company's goodwill.
  • General safety management, training and audit: Sesoda implements various safety and health management operations, such as: process safety and health management, automatic inspection and management methods for machinery and equipment, safety work permit implementation rules, subcontractor management methods, contractor management , Work environment measurement, hazard communication, TPM system inspection, zero disaster rewards and punishment operations, safety and health inspections, etc. safety management and audit.
  • Education and training: draw up an annual education and training plan every year, as required by laws and regulations, implement more than three hours of education and training on hazardous materials and hazardous materials per year for operating staff; implement relevant safety and health education and training for employees on the job and drills in emergency situations ; Implement on-the-job training for special operators to ensure that employees abide by laws and regulations.
  • Hazardous substance management: In accordance with Article 10 of the Occupational Safety and Health Law, with reference to hazardous chemical labeling and general knowledge rules and specific chemical substance hazard prevention standards, the "3D3-07 Hazard General Knowledge Plan" is formulated to manage and control various dangerous substances And harmful substances. For hazardous chemicals (sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid), storage tanks, pipelines and pipe valves are marked, and a list is prepared and safety data sheets are disclosed. Liquid barriers and emergency leak alarms are set up around the storage tank area to ensure Manage hazardous chemicals, and complete the report for reference in accordance with the "Designation and Operation Management Measures for Priority Management Chemicals".

Climate change risks and opportunities

The impact of climate change on business operations and the disclosure of information on specific climate changes. In addition to regular reports to the board of directors and the financial risk management committee, Sesoda will let the board and senior management understand the impact of climate change on the company, and expose climate-related issues information, to provide investors and other stakeholders with consistent needs and to work with suppliers and partners to promote environmental sustainability; including the direct or indirect physical impact caused by extreme weather, the transformation impact of regulations, technology or market demand, and the matrix analysis of risks and opportunities caused by the company's operating activities due to other cultural and social aspects. Based on the analysis results, a risk management strategy plan is established as the core of climate change actions to estimate management costs and financial impacts. Through the above-mentioned collected data, the company's climate change governance is strengthened, and financial connections are systematically evaluated to reduce risks and grasp business opportunities. The company assesses the risks that climate change may face to the company in accordance with the "Risk Management Measures" every year, including (1) the impact of typhoon frequency and intensity on the transportation of raw materials, (2) changes in fertilizer demand, and (3) reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, etc. . Identify risk sources, risk analysis, risk assessment and risk treatment, and continue to improve and reduce the impact on the company.

The Risk Matrix of Climate Change 

氣候變遷風險矩陣圖

Identification of the risk of climate change Impact on company operations Management measures to identify the risks of climate change
Operational equipment damage Operation is interrupted due to climate disasters, such as the destruction of information mainframes or production equipment, resulting in production interruptions. For information systems, strengthen the emergency power supply and backup mechanism. For physical branches, every time a strong typhoon or heavy rain warning is issued, take precautionary measures.
Unstable water and electricity supply Production has been hit and operating costs have increased. Improve water resource efficiency and use emerging water sources.
Increase in raw material costs Due to climate change, the cost of raw materials for bulk commodities has increased, which will affect operations. Based on the control of raw materials related industry sources.
Cap and emissions trading The general temperature rise caused by climate change affects the production and operation costs of factories. When performing company-wide maintenance, we will also review the replacement requirements and plan ahead of time to replace old equipment to deal with equipment with high carbon emissions and performance degradation.
Greenhouse Gas Total Control and Carbon Trading System Capacity expansion is limited and operating costs increase. Participate in carbon trading market and participate in renewable energy projects
Renewable energy/fuel/energy tax and regulations Changes in regulations may affect green energy industry subsidies, and green energy industry development may be considered. Seek competitive equipment manufacturers, research and development direction.
Corporate image impact Failure to meet the expectations of stakeholders, causing damage to the company's reputation or image Enhance investors' long-term investment willingness
Typhoon, flood, drought Production is affected, leading to financial losses and lower revenue Improve natural disaster resistance
Lower valuation The credit collateral suffered damage due to climate change disasters. At present, most of the collateral are real estate, the credit ratio is low, and the impact strength is low. A re-evaluation review of collateral is conducted every six months, and changes in real estate market conditions in various regions will be tracked regularly.
Low-carbon energy-saving product development Product development costs increase. Develop or expand energy-saving products and services. Meet customer demand for energy-saving products. Invest in energy-saving product development to increase revenue.
Temperature rise Increase in electricity consumption, rising costs and carbon emissions Promote low-carbon green production equipment Save electricity, save costs

The Opportunity Matrix of Climate Change

氣候變遷風險矩陣圖

Climate change risk identification Identification of climate change opportunities Possible business development for company operations
Policy reward When replacing equipment, apply for relevant energy-saving subsidies in accordance with government subsidy policies. When purchasing additional production equipment, cooperate with the purchase of equipment that meets the requirements, and submit the subsidy application to the government window after collecting relevant information.
Customer behavior change Climate change and weather conditions have a huge impact on agricultural farming, and mutually affect customers' desire to buy and enthusiasm. In response to market demand, integrate resources, timely and effectively adjust production capacity, supply to meet market needs, and enhance development potential.
Low-carbon products or services Following the development of domestic and global low-carbon and green energy trends. In the future, the proportion of investment-friendly products will be increased.
Find new business opportunities Assist in the expansion of green energy cases in other countries, which is conducive to medium and long-term business growth. With large-scale energy projects such as co-generation equipment, the domestic industrial chain continues to improve, and the investment possibilities of related projects in the future are evaluated.
Public construction participation Respond to the government's green energy policy In recent years, we have actively participated in energy-saving programs and continued to enhance the image of green energy.

Compliance

Formulate policies, commitments, and future goals:
The management level expresses the importance of this issue by formulating relevant norms, conducting education and training and advocacy, regular assessment and compliance with declarations, etc. to express the importance of this issue. It also extends to external stakeholders and provides adequate reporting channels and protections to demonstrate this The company's ethics and compliance culture.

Investment resources:
In terms of environmental protection, the county government has proposed changes and applications for the discrepancies in the establishment permits and operating permits. Zhong Ding Engineering Co., Ltd. has been appointed to actively conduct environmental protection assessment and improvement operations, and strive to reduce Air pollution discharge; in terms of occupational safety and health, we strengthen employee's awareness of workplace safety through training courses and establish a plan for human factors engineering and illegal infringement prevention.

Grievance mechanism:
The company has a whistle blower system to provide employees and external personnel with an effective and appropriate grievance mechanism. Appropriate responses will be given to the concise, convenient and unobstructed channels for complaints that endanger labor rights. Sesoda deeply recognizes that only good laws and regulations follow the practice to match the company's internal control system, and through on-site visits to colleagues' education, training and audits, it confirms that colleagues' business execution is in compliance with laws and regulations and the company's internal regulations, thereby reducing the company's risk of violations , to avoid direct economic losses of the company, damage to shareholders' rights and damage to corporate image.

To this end, the company has invested resources in compliance with laws and regulations. First, we formulate relevant policies. The management uses relevant regulations to carry out education, training and promotion, regular evaluations, and compliance declarations to express the importance of this issue, and it also extends to external interests. Related parties, provide their whistle blowing channels and whistle blower protection instructions, and then reflect Sesoda's corporate culture of ethics, integrity and legal compliance.

On the issue of local environmental protection in the plant area, the Yilan County Government ordered the suspension of work in 108. The Yilan County Government approved the trial operation on January 14, 2019; the Appeal Review Committee of the Environmental Protection Department of the Executive Yuan was resolved in February 2019 The suspension order of the original Yilan County Government was revoked, and the main plant is now operating normally.

In the future, Sesoda will strictly require every colleague to abide by the company's internal rules and regulations. Any violation of the company's internal rules will be regarded as improper behavior. In addition to punishing them in accordance with relevant company regulations, they will also be dealt with in accordance with the law. The company will review and improve immediately after the occurrence of an abnormality, strengthen personnel education and training, enhance the ability of independent inspection, prevent and strengthen management from the source, and hope to prevent the occurrence of similar abnormalities, and continue to move towards the goal of zero violations of environmental protection and adhere to strict self-discipline. To ensure that no illegal records will occur in the future, and to protect the rights and interests of internal and external stakeholders.

Occupational safety and health violation statistics:
In 2019, Sesoda received no complaints related to labor human rights, and the official website did not receive any complaints against the company from external stakeholders.

Sesoda 2018~2019 Statistics of environmental violations in the year

Year Project 2018 2019
Case Fines (10,000) Case Fines (10,000)
Air Pollution 6 620 0 0
Water Pollution 1 6 0 0
Waste Pollution 2 1.2 1 5.4
Health/Safety 4 12 2 30
Total 13 639.2 3 35.4