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CORPORATE
Corporate Governance
Risk Management Policy
1. OVERVIEW
1.1 The Board of Medusa Mining Limited (the
"Company" or "Medusa") recognizes that 'risk
oversight' is a core function of the Board that can complement its
commitment in protecting and enhancing shareholder value.
1.2 This policy outlines the Board's desire to
better manage risk, with the establishment of a control framework
to assist in identifying, assessing, monitoring and managing
risks, so as to safeguard the assets and interests of the Company
as well as to ensure the integrity of reporting.
1.3 The Board is ultimately responsible for the
business risks of the Company, however the day to day management
of these risks will be handled by the Chief Executive Officer
("CEO") (operating within the framework of this policy),
reporting directly to the Board on all matters associated with
risk management.
2. DUTIES OF THE CEO
2.1 The duties of the CEO, in the risk management
process, will be to:
(a) identify and prioritize risks arising from
and to business strategies and activities;
(b) develop and advise the Board on the level of risk that is
acceptable to Medusa, including the acceptance of risks designed
to accomplish strategic plans;
(c) develop risk mitigation activities that when implemented
will reduce or otherwise manage risk at levels that have been
determined to be reasonable. Examples of which include, risk
minimization procedures, cost effective insurance or other risk
shifting activities;
(d) undertake the monitoring of business activities to
periodically reassess risks and the effectiveness of controls to
manage such risks; and
(e) supply to the Board, annual (or when appropriate) reports on
the risk management process.
2.2 In fulfilling his duties of risk management,
the CEO will have unrestricted access to company employees,
contractors and records and may obtain independent expert advice
on any matter it believes appropriate.
3. RISK PROFILE
3.1 A risk profile is a description of material
business risks, relevant to Medusa and includes both financial and
non-financial matters.
3.2 The Board recognize that Medusa's main
business risks are determined by the nature of its business
activities and assets and are aware that other factors (both
external and internal) that could influence the risk profile of
the Company.
(a) External factors which could influence the
risk profile of the Company, include but are not necessarily
limited to the following:
-
state or health of the industry sector;
-
competition;
-
market share (size);
-
industrial relations;
-
foreign exchange and interest rates;
-
equity and commodity prices;
-
political views; and
-
a nation's economic well being.
(b) Internal factors which could influence the
risk profile of the Company, include but are not necessarily
limited to the following:
3.3 The Board expects the CEO to be aware of the
various business risks that exist (as highlighted in clause 3.2
above) and in some instances co-exist, when identifying, assessing
and monitoring risk management when conducting its business
activities.
4. GUIDELINES FOR MINIMIZING RISKS
4.1 The Company strives to manage risk as best as
it possibly can and has introduced the following guidelines to
minimize operational risks, by ensuring that:
(a) all employees be made aware of their duties;
(b) the Company assign authority based on skill and experience;
(c) all agreements are recorded and documents safeguarded to
substantiate dealings with external parties;
(d) the Company has in place insurance policies to minimize the
risk of loss through accidents or other adverse incidents;
(e) the Board receives on a regular basis, reports of its
operational activities;
(f) Medusa has in place health and safety practices for its
employees to maintain an acceptable level of health and safety
in its working environment;
(g) Medusa has established proper procedures to ensure that it
complies with its 'continuous disclosure' obligations to the ASX
and that any information released to the market is materially
correct.
4.2 The Board is also aware that the Company has
the potential to be exposed to financial loss as a result of
fluctuations in market factors that are beyond the Company's
control, for example prices and rates.
As market factors are dynamic in nature, all risk positions are
continually monitored to ensure that the Company's activities are
consistent with the approach and strategy approved by the Board.
In an attempt to minimize risk in areas of the
Company's activities that are subject to external factors, beyond
the control of the Company, the following guidelines have been
initiated:
(a) receiving regular reports on the market
relating to indexes, interest rates, foreign exchange,
commodities, economic news;
(b) ensure that any new financial market products are subjected
to detail risk analysis before a decision is made to investment
in those products;
(c) ensure that a report is prepared for the Board outlining
'pros & cons' as to why the Company should invest in any
listed companies;
(d) only trading in financial products that can be managed and
monitored effectively 'in-house';
(e) all transactions of a 'speculative' nature are not
permitted;
(f) notwithstanding, any of the steps mentioned above, "no
investment of any nature is allowed that will expose
shareholders' funds to undue risks"
5. INTERNAL CONTROL SYSTEM
5.1 Whilst the Board acknowledges that it is
responsible for the overall internal control framework of the
Company in risk management, it is also cognizant that no cost
effective internal control system will preclude all errors and
irregularities.
5.2 The Board reviews the effectiveness of the
Company's system of internal control, including a review of
financial, operational, compliance and risk controls on a
continual basis.
5.3 Any control not operating effectively, is
initially corrected and then modified to include a mitigating
control that will reduce risk to an acceptable level.
5.4 The CEO and the Chief Financial Officer (or
equivalent) are required to provide formal representation to the
Board confirming that:
(a) the integrity of the Company's financial
report is founded on a sound system of risk management and
internal compliance and control based on the policies adopted by
the Board; and
(b) the Company's risk management and internal compliance and
control system is operating efficiently and effectively in all
material aspects.
5.5 In satisfying its risk oversight role, the
Board may require appropriate management assurance from the CEO
and CFO against other material business risks (and associated
controls).
5.6 Every employee of the Company has the duty for
reporting any known breach of the guidelines introduced by the
Company to minimize risks.
5.7 The key test (indicative but not conclusive)
for whether a risk management and internal control system is
operating effectively, is the business outcomes that have been
achieved.
Typically, business outcomes are monitored through key performance
indicators (financial and non-financial), however, events outside
of management's control can sometimes lead to undesirable
outcomes, which doesn't necessarily mean that the risk management
program in place is ineffective.
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