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Article 1
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The Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation (TWSE) and the Taipei Exchange (TPEx) hereby jointly adopt these Principles, to be followed by TWSE and TPEx listed companies, to assist them in establishing sound corporate governance systems and promote sound development of the securities market.
TWSE/TPEx listed companies are advised to formulate their own corporate governance principles and establish an effective corporate governance framework with reference to these Principles and disclose them through the Market Observation Post System (MOPS).
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Article 2
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When setting up the corporate governance system, in addition to complying with relevant laws, regulations, articles of incorporation, contracts signed with the TWSE or TPEx, and other relevant regulations, a TWSE/TPEx listed company shall follow the following principles:
- Protect the rights and interests of shareholders.
- Strengthen the powers of the board of directors.
- Fulfill the function of supervisors.
- Respect the rights and interests of stakeholders.
- Enhance information transparency.
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Article 3-1
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(Personnel responsible for corporate governance affairs)
A TWSE/TPEx listed company may set up a full- (or part-) time corporate governance unit or personnel to be in charge of corporate governance affairs and designate a senior officer to be in charge of supervision. Said officer shall be a qualified lawyer or accountant or have at least three years' management experience gained at a public company in handling legal affairs, financial affairs, stock affairs, etc.
It is advisable that the corporate governance affairs mentioned in the preceding paragraph include at least the following items:
- Handling corporate registration and amendment registration
- Handling matters relating to board meetings and shareholders meetings according to laws, and assisting the company with compliance with laws and regulations governing such meetings
- Producing minutes of board meetings and shareholders meetings
- Furnishing information required for business execution by directors and supervisors, and updating them on developments of laws and regulations relating to the operation of the company in order to assist them with legal compliance
- Affairs relating to investor relations
- Other matters set out in the articles or corporation or contracts
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Article 4
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The corporate governance system of a TWSE/TPEx listed company shall be designed to protect shareholders' rights and interests and treat all shareholders equitably.
A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall establish a corporate governance system which ensures shareholders' rights of being fully informed of, participating in and making decisions over important matters of the company.
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Article 6
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The board of directors of a TWSE/TPEx listed company shall properly arrange the agenda items and procedures for shareholders meetings, and formulate the principles and procedures for shareholder nominations of directors and supervisors and submissions of shareholder proposals. The board shall also properly handle the proposals duly submitted by shareholders. Arrangements shall be made to hold shareholders meetings at a convenient location, with sufficient time allowed and sufficient numbers of suitable personnel assigned to handle attendance registrations. No arbitrary requirements shall be imposed on shareholders to provide additional evidentiary documents beyond those showing eligibility to attend. Shareholders shall be granted reasonable time to deliberate each proposal and an appropriate opportunity to make statements.
For a shareholders meeting called by the board of directors, it is advisable that the board chairperson chair the meeting, that a majority of the directors (including at least one independent director) and at least one supervisor attend in person, and that at least one member of each functional committee attend as representative. Attendance details should be recorded in the shareholders meeting minutes.
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Article 7
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A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall encourage its shareholders to actively participate in corporate governance. It is advisable that the company engage a professional shareholder services agent to handle shareholders meeting matters, so that shareholders meetings can proceed on a legal, effective and secure basis. A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall seek all ways and means, including fully exploiting technologies for information disclosure and casting votes, and is advised to upload notices, agendas and supplementary information of shareholders meetings in both Chinese and English concurrently in order to enhance shareholders' attendance rates at shareholders meetings and ensure their exercise of rights at such meetings in accordance with laws.
A TWSE/TPEx listed company that employs electronic voting at a shareholders meeting is advised to avoid raising extraordinary motions and amendments to original proposals, and is advised to adopt a candidate nomination system for the election of directors and supervisors.
TWSE/TPEx listed companies are advised to arrange for their shareholders to vote on each separate proposal in the shareholders meeting agenda, and following conclusion of the meeting, to enter the voting results the same day, namely the numbers of votes cast for and against and the number of abstentions, on the Market Observation Post System.
If the company distributes souvenirs at its shareholders meeting, it shall not practice differential treatment or discrimination.
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Article 12
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In entering into material financial and business transactions such as acquisition or disposal of assets, lending funds, and making endorsements or providing guarantees, a TWSE/TPEx listed company shall proceed in accordance with the applicable laws and/or regulations and establish operating procedures in relation to these material financial and business transactions which shall be reported to and approved by the shareholders meeting so as to protect the interests of the shareholders.
When a TWSE/TPEx listed company is involved in a merger, acquisition or public tender offer, in addition to proceeding in accordance with the applicable laws and/or regulations, it shall not only pay attention to the fairness, rationality, etc. of the plan and transaction of the merger, acquisition or public tender offer, , but information disclosure and the soundness of the company's financial structure thereafter.
The relevant personnel of a TWSE/TPExlisted company handling the matters in the preceding paragraph shall pay attention to the occurrence of any conflicts of interest and the need for recusal.
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Article 13-1
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(The board of directors is responsible for establishing a mechanism for interaction with shareholders)
The board of directors of a TWSE/TPEx listed company is responsible for establishing a mechanism for interaction with shareholders to enhance mutual understanding of the development of company's objectives.
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Article 13-2
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(Efficient communication with shareholders to gain their support)
In addition to communicating with shareholders through shareholders meetings and encouraging shareholders to participate in such meetings, the board of directors of a TWSE/TPEx listed company together with officers and independent directors shall engage with shareholders in an efficient manner to ascertain shareholders' views and concerns, and expound company policies explicitly, in order to gain shareholders' support.
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Article 20
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The board of directors of a TWSE/TPEx listed company shall direct company strategies, supervise the management, and be responsible to the company and shareholders. The various procedures and arrangements of its corporate governance system shall ensure that, in exercising its authority, the board of directors complies with laws, regulations, its articles of incorporation, and the resolutions of its shareholders meetings.
The structure of a TWSE/TPEx listed company's board of directors shall be determined by choosing an appropriate number of board members, not less than five, in consideration of its business scale, the shareholdings of its major shareholders, and practical operational needs.
The composition of the board of directors shall be determined by taking diversity into consideration. It is advisable that directors concurrently serving as company officers not exceed one-third of the total number of the board members, and that an appropriate policy on diversity based on the company's business operations, operating dynamics, and development needs be formulated and include, without being limited to, the following two general standards:
- Basic requirements and values: Gender, age, nationality, and culture.
- Professional knowledge and skills: A professional background (e.g., law, accounting, industry, finance, marketing, technology), professional skills, and industry experience.
All members of the board shall have the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to perform their duties. To achieve the ideal goal of corporate governance, the board of directors shall possess the following abilities:
- Ability to make operational judgments.
- Ability to perform accounting and financial analysis.
- Ability to conduct management administration.
- Ability to conduct crisis management.
- Knowledge of the industry.
- An international market perspective.
- Ability to lead.
- Ability to make policy decisions.
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Article 21
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A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall, according to the principles for the protection of shareholder rights and interests and equitable treatment of shareholders, establish a fair, just, and open procedure for the election of directors, encourage shareholder participation, and adopt the cumulative voting mechanism pursuant to the Company Act in order to fully reflect shareholders' views.
Unless the competent authority otherwise grants an approval, a spousal relationship or a familial relationship within the second degree of kinship may not exist among more than half of the directors of a TWSE/TPEx listed company.
When the number of directors falls below five due to the discharge of a director for any reason, the company shall hold a by-election for director at the following shareholders meeting. When the number of directors falls short by one-third of the total number prescribed by the articles of incorporation, the company shall convene a special shareholders meeting within 60 days of the occurrence of that fact for a by-election for director(s).
The aggregate shareholding percentage of all of the directors of a TWSE/TPEx listed company shall comply with the laws and regulations. Restrictions on the share transfer of each director and the creation, release, or changes of any pledges over the shares held by each director shall be subject to the relevant laws and regulations, and the relevant information shall be fully disclosed.
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Article 22
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A TWSE/TPEx listed company is advised to specify in its articles of incorporation that it adopts the candidate nomination system for elections of directors pursuant to the Company Act. It is advisable that the company review in advance the qualifications, education, working experience, background, and the existence of any other matters set forth in Article 30 of the Company Act with respect to the director candidates recommended by shareholders or directors, and the company may not arbitrarily add requirements for documentation of other qualifications. It is advised to provide the results of the review to shareholders for their reference, so that qualified directors will be elected.
The board of directors shall assess carefully the qualifications and other matters listed in the preceding paragraph and the willingness of a candidate to act as director after it is so elected, before proposing a roster of director candidates as required.
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Article 23
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Clear distinctions shall be drawn between the responsibilities and duties of the chairperson of the board of a TWSE/TPEx listed company and those of its general manager.
It is inappropriate for the chairperson to also act as the general manager. If the chairperson also acts as the general manager or the chairperson and general manager are spouses or relatives within one degree of consanguinity, it is advisable that the number of independent directors be increased.
A TWSE/TPEx listed company with a functional committee shall clearly define the responsibilities and duties of the committee.
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Article 24
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A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall appoint independent directors in accordance with its articles of incorporation. They shall be not less than two in number and not less than one-fifth of the total number of directors.
Independent directors shall possess professional knowledge and there shall be restrictions on their shareholdings. Applicable laws and regulations shall be observed and, in addition, it is not advisable for an independent director to hold office concurrently as a director (including independent director) or supervisor of more than five other TWSE/TPEx listed companies. Independent directors shall also maintain independence within the scope of their directorial duties, and may not have any direct or indirect interest in the company.
A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall, in accordance with Article 192-1 of the Company Act, adopt a candidate nomination system for election of the independent directors and expressly stipulate such system in the articles of incorporation; and the shareholders shall elect the directors from among the nominees listed in the roster of director candidates. Independent and non-independent directors shall be elected at the same time but on separate ballots pursuant to Article 198 of the Company Act.
If a TWSE/TPEx listed company and its group enterprises and organizations, and another company and its group enterprises and organizations nominate for each other any director, supervisor or managerial officer as a candidate for an independent director of the other, the TWSE/TPEx listed company shall, at the time it receives the nominations for independent directors, disclose the fact and explain the suitability of the candidate for independent director. If the candidate is elected as an independent director, the TWSE/TPEx listed company shall disclose the number of votes cast in favor of the elected independent director.
The "group enterprises and organizations" in the preceding paragraph comprise the subsidiaries of the TWSE/TPEx listed company, any foundation to which the TWSE/TPEx listed company's cumulative direct or indirect contribution of funds exceeds 50 percent of its endowment, and other institutions or juristic persons that are effectively controlled by the company.
Change of status between independent directors and non-independent directors during their term of office is prohibited.
If an independent director is discharged for any reason, resulting in a number of directors lower than that required under paragraph 1 or the articles of incorporation, a by-election for independent director shall be held at the next shareholders meeting. In the event that all the independent directors have been discharged, the company shall convene a special shareholders meeting to hold a by-election within 60 days from the date on which the vacancies arose.
Where a TWSE/TPEx listed company has created the position of managing director, the managing directors shall include no less than one independent director, and no less than one-fifth of the managing director seats shall be held by independent directors.
The professional qualifications, restrictions on both shareholding and concurrent positions held, determination of independence, method of nomination and other requirements with regard to the independent directors shall be set forth in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Act, the Regulations Governing Appointment of Independent Directors and Compliance Matter for Public Companies, and the rules and regulations of the Taiwan Stock Exchange or GreTai Securities Market.
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Article 26
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A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall stipulate the scope of duties of the independent directors and empower them with manpower and physical support related to the exercise of their power. The company or other board members shall not restrict or obstruct the performance of duties by the independent directors.
A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall stipulate the remuneration of the directors according to applicable laws and regulations. The remuneration of the directors shall fully reflect the personal performance and the long-term management performance of the company, and shall also take the overall operational risks of the company into consideration. Different but reasonable remuneration from that of other directors may be set forth for the independent directors.
When a TWSE/TPEx listed company, under its articles of incorporation, or by resolution of its shareholders meeting, or by order of the competent authority, sets aside a certain proportion of earnings as special reserve, such allocation shall be made after the allocation of legal reserve and before the distribution of director, supervisor, and employee compensations, and the company shall provide in the articles of incorporation the method to be adopted for distributing earnings when reversal of the special reserve is added into the undistributed earnings.
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Article 27
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For the purpose of developing supervisory functions and strengthening management mechanisms, the board of directors of a TWSE/TPEx listed company, in consideration of the company's scale and type of operations and the number of its board members, may set up functional committees for auditing, remuneration, nomination, risk management or any other functions, and based on concepts of corporate social responsibility and sustainable operation, may set up environmental protection, corporate social responsibility, or other committees, and expressly provide for them in the articles of incorporation.
Functional committees shall be responsible to the board of directors and submit their proposals to the board of directors for approval, provided that the performance of supervisor's duties by the audit committee pursuant to Article 14-4, paragraph 4 of the Securities and Exchange Act shall be excluded.
Functional committees shall adopt an organizational charter to be approved by the board of directors. The organizational charter shall contain the numbers, terms of office, and powers of committee members, as well as the meeting rules and resources to be provided by the company for exercise of power by the committee.
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Article 28-1
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A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall establish a remuneration committee. The professional qualifications for the committee members, the exercise of their powers of office, the adoption of the organizational charter, and related matters shall be handled pursuant to the Regulations Governing the Appointment and Exercise of Powers by the Remuneration Committee of a Company Whose Stock is Listed on the Stock Exchange or Traded Over the Counter.
The remuneration committee shall exercise the care of a good administrator in faithfully performing the official powers listed below, and shall submit its recommendations for deliberation by the board of directors. However, recommendations regarding remuneration for supervisors may be submitted for deliberation by the board of directors only when the board of directors is expressly authorized to handle supervisor remuneration by the company's articles of incorporation or by a resolution of the shareholders meeting:
- Prescribing and periodically reviewing the policies, systems, standards, and structures for performance evaluation and remuneration for directors, supervisors and managerial officers.
- Periodically evaluating and prescribing the remuneration of directors, supervisors, and managerial officers.
When performing the official powers of the preceding paragraph, the remuneration committee shall follow the principles listed below:
- With respect to the performance assessments and remuneration of directors, supervisors and managerial personnel of the company, it shall refer to the typical pay levels adopted by peer companies, and take into consideration the reasonableness of the correlation between remuneration and individual performance, the company's business performance, and future risk exposure.
- It shall not produce an incentive for the directors or managerial officers to engage in activity to pursue remuneration exceeding the risks that the company may tolerate.
- It shall take into consideration the characteristics of the industry and the nature of the company's business when determining the ratio of compensation for the short-term performance of its directors and senior management and the time at which the variable part of remuneration is paid.
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Article 28-2
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(A whistleblowing system)
A TWSE/TPEx listed company is advised to establish and announce channels for internal and external whistleblowers and have whistleblower protection mechanisms in place. The unit that handles whistleblowers' reporting shall be independent, provide encrypted protection for the files furnished by whistleblowers, and appropriately restrict access to such files. It shall also formulate internal procedures and incorporate those procedures into the company's internal control system for management purposes.
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Article 37
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Members of the board of directors shall faithfully conduct corporate affairs and perform the duty of care of a good administrator. In conducting the affairs of the company, they shall exercise their powers with a high level of self-discipline and prudence. Unless matters are otherwise reserved by law for approval in shareholders meetings or in the articles of incorporation, they shall ensure that all matters are handled according to the resolutions of board of directors.
Any resolution of the board of directors that involves the company's business development or a major policy direction shall be carefully considered and may not affect the implementation or effectiveness of corporate governance.
It is advisable that a TWSE/TPEx listed company formulate rules and procedures for board of directors performance assessments, and that each year it conduct regularly scheduled performance assessments of the board of directors, functional committees, and individual directors through self-assessment, peer-to-peer assessments, engaging outside professional institutions, or in any other appropriate manner. It is advisable that the performance assessment of the board of directors (functional committees) include the following aspects, and that appropriate assessment indicators be developed in consideration of the company's needs:
- The degree of participation in the company's operations.
- Improvement in the quality of decision making by the board of directors.
- The composition and structure of the board of directors.
- The election of the directors and their continuing professional education.
- Internal controls.
It is advisable that performance assessments of board members (self-assessments or peer-to-peer assessments) include the following aspects, with appropriate adjustments made on the basis of the company's needs:
- Their grasp of the company's goals and missions.
- Their recognition of director's duties.
- Their degree of participation in the company's operations.
- Their management of internal relationships and communication.
- Their professionalism and continuing professional education.
- Internal controls.
A TWSE/TPEx listed company's board of directors shall consider adjusting its composition based on the results of performance assessments.
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Article 39
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A TWSE/TPEx listed company is advised to take out directors liability insurance with respect to liabilities resulting from exercising their duties during their terms of occupancy so as to reduce and spread the risk of material harm to the company and shareholders arising from the wrongdoings or negligence of a director.
A TWSE/TPEx listed company is advised to report the insured amount, coverage, premium rate, and other major contents of the liability insurance it has taken out or renewed for directors, at the next board meeting.
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Article 42
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A TWSE/TPEx listed company is advised to specify in its articles of incorporation that it adopts the candidate nomination system for elections of supervisors pursuant to the Company Act, and to review in advance the qualifications, education, working experience, background and the existence of any other matters set forth in Article 30 of the Company Act with respect to the supervisor candidates recommended by the shareholders or directors, and the company may not arbitrarily add requirements for documentation of other qualifications. It is advised to provide the results of the review to the shareholders for their reference, so that qualified supervisors will be elected.
The board of directors shall assess carefully the qualifications and other matters listed in the preceding paragraph and the willingness of a candidate to act as supervisor after it is so elected, before proposing a roster of supervisor candidates as required.
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Article 49
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A TWSE/TPEx listed company is advised to take out supervisors liability insurance with respect to liabilities resulting from the exercise of duties during their terms, so as to reduce and spread the risk of material harm to the company and shareholders arising from the wrongdoing or negligence of a supervisor.
A TWSE/TPEx listed company is advised to report the insured amount, coverage, premium rate, and other major contents of the liability insurance it has taken out or renewed for supervisors, at the next board meeting.
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Article 51
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(A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall maintain communication with stakeholders and safeguard their rights and interests)
A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall maintain channels of communication with its banks, other creditors, employees, consumers, suppliers, community, or other stakeholders of the company, respect and safeguard their legal rights and interests, and designate a stakeholders section on its website.
When any of a stakeholder's legal rights or interests is harmed, the company shall handle the matter in a proper manner and in good faith.
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Article 58
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A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall hold an investor conference in compliance with the regulations of the TWSE and TPEx, and shall keep an audio or video record of the meeting. The financial and business information disclosed in the investor conference shall be disclosed on the Market Observation Post System and provided for inquiry through the website established by the company, or through other channels, in accordance with the TWSE or TPEx rules.
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Article 59
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A TWSE/TPEx listed company shall disclose and update from time to time the following information regarding corporate governance in the fiscal year in accordance with laws and regulations and TWSE or TPEx rules (disclosure of supervisors' information is not required if the company has an audit committee):
- Corporate governance framework and rules.
- Ownership structure and the rights and interests of shareholders, including specific and explicit dividend policy).
- Structure, professionalism and independence of the board of directors.
- Responsibility of the board of directors and managerial officers.
- Composition, duties and independence of the audit committee or supervisors.
- Composition, duties and operation of the remuneration committee and other functional committees.
- The remuneration paid to the directors, supervisors, general manager and vice general manager in the last two fiscal years, the analysis of the percentage of total remuneration to net profit after tax in the parent company only financial reports or individual financial reports, the policy, standard and package of remuneration payment, the procedure for determination of remuneration and the connection with the operation performance and future risk. Under special individual circumstances, remuneration of individual directors and supervisors shall be disclosed.
- The progress of training of directors and supervisors.
- The rights, relationships, avenues for complaint, concerns, and appropriate response mechanism regarding stakeholders.
- Details of the events subject to information disclosure required by law and regulations.
- The enforcement of corporate governance, differences between the corporate governance principles implemented by the company and these Principles, and the reason for the differences.
- Other information regarding corporate governance.
A TWSE/TPEx listed company is advised, according to the actual performance of the corporate governance system, to disclose the plans and measures to improve its corporate governance system through appropriate mechanisms.
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