FIEMG Highlights Integrity as a Strategic Tool for SMEs in Brazil's Public Procurement Market

On September 4, FIEMG held a pivotal event in Belo Horizonte titled "More Integrity, More Business: How to Implement and Improve the Integrity Program in Light of the Law of Public Procurement and Administrative Contracts," focusing on empowering small and medium industries in Brazil to harness integrity programs as key business strategies.

The event aimed to demystify integrity, often seen as a complex, costly venture, instead presenting it as a manageable and practical framework adaptable to each company's scale and needs. Érica Alcântara, FIEMG’s Governance, Risk, and Compliance manager, emphasized that integrity should not be seen as distant from smaller businesses.

Compliance expert Camila Melo Franco Motta elaborated on integrity programs as essential management tools that help prevent risks and enhance internal processes. She highlighted foundational steps like defining clear responsibilities, establishing rules, risk identification, and maintaining communication channels. These programs operate as continuous cycles of prevention, detection, investigation, response, and learning.

Adding critical context, Cynthia Vieira, subcontroller of Transparency, Integrity, and Social Control in Minas Gerais, connected integrity programs to Brazil’s new public procurement law. She noted that the legislation expands integrity beyond formal compliance to encompass broader governance, risk management, and public-private collaboration, aiming to enhance safety and efficiency in public contracts. Vieira stressed that integrity is a collective organizational responsibility, not confined to compliance departments.

The event concluded with the affirmation that integrity can serve as a competitive advantage for SMEs, enabling them to access safer markets and attractive public procurement opportunities through robust governance and risk management practices.