Being a listed company, Metsä Board’s internal control is steered by the Finnish Companies Act and Securities Market Act, other laws and regulations applicable to the operations and the rules and recommendations of the Helsinki Stock Exchange, including the Corporate Governance Code. External control is carried out by Metsä Board's auditor and the authorities.
In Metsä Board, internal control covers financial reporting and other monitoring. Internal control is implemented by the Board and operative management as well as the entire personnel. Internal control aims to ensure achieving the goals and objectives set for the company; economical, appropriate and efficient use of resources; correct and reliable financial information and other management information; adherence to external regulations and internal policies; security of operations, information and property in an adequate manner; and the arrangement of adequate and suitable manual and IT systems to support operations.
Internal control is divided into (i) proactive control, such as the specification of corporate values, general operational and business principles; (ii) daily control, such as operational systems and work instructions related to operational steering and monitoring; and (iii) subsequent control, such as management evaluations and inspections, comparisons and verifications with the aim of ensuring that the goals are met and that the agreed operational and control principles are followed. The corporate culture, governance and the approach to control together create the basis for the entire process of internal control.
Monitoring of the financial reporting process, credit control and authorisation rights
The finance function is responsible for financial reporting. The units and businesses report the financial figures each month. The finance function checks the units’ monthly performance and report them further to the management. The result will be reported to the Board and the Corporate Management Team each month. The Company’s internal guidelines provide detailed descriptions on the reporting and control rules and the reporting procedure.
Credit control in Metsä Board has been centralised under a Credit Committee, which convenes at least each quarter. The development of trade receivables is monitored in each sales company by credit controllers under the supervision of the Group VP of Credits. Counterparty-specific credit limits are set within the boundaries of the credit policy confirmed by the Board in cooperation with centralised credit control and the management. The development of credit risks is reported to the Board on a regular basis.
Authorisation rights concerning expenses, significant contracts and investments have been specified continuously for different organisation levels according to the decision-making authority policy confirmed by the Board and the authority separately granted by the CEO and other management personnel. Investment follow-up is carried out by the Group's financial administration according to the investment policy confirmed by the Board. After pre-approval, investments are taken to the Corporate Management Team within the framework of the annual investment plan. Most significant investments are separately submitted for Board approval. Investment follow-up reports are compiled each quarter.