Due to the economic situation in 2003, quite a few companies are looking for ways to drive down costs and achieve extra efficiencies. In many cases, one way to realise this two-fold goal is to reduce the piles of paper by issuing (and accepting) electronic invoices and archiving them in electronic format as studies have shown that companies can save up to 75% of their invoicing cost by switching to electronic invoicing.

This year’s Corporate Accountability conference held in both London and Amsterdam could hardly have been more timely and relevant: a conference of its time and for its time.

In recent times, two parallel trends have combined to increase significantly the risk to businesses of serious damage arising from violations of anti-bribery laws and regulations around the world.

In December 2008, Siemens AG (Siemens), Europe’s largest multi-national engineering and electronics company, reached a settlement with US regulators regarding a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigation into allegations of bribing foreign public officials and falsifying corporate books and records.

 The heart of the matter In a remarkable year of floundering institutions, government interventions, and teetering economies, the financial industry is facing unprecedented challenges.

We are pleased to present our fifth Global Economic Crime Survey. Our 2009 survey scrutinised fraud and associated integrity risks during a period in which most territories around the world experienced either a dramatic economic downturn or at least a significant slowdown.

The Bribery Act seeks to enhance the UK’s anti-bribery legislation which is fragmented and has been subject to serious criticism internationally.