Sustainability of SATHAPANA’s business operations is secured providing that client’s interest is concerned. Mutual benefits can be guaranteed through appropriate product design and right delivery channel the company chooses to serve the clients.

Standards of Principle 1

To ensure appropriate product design and delivery, SATHAPANA sets out four standards as the minimum requirements:

• Products and services shall be designed to meet client’s need and want with full consideration of the interests of all stakeholders. Our product specifications shall be extensively flexible in order to meet the needs of different segments of the market in Myanmar;
• Products and services shall be channeled by means which safety, security, and interests of all stakeholders are ensured;
• Feedbacks and suggestions shall receive proper consideration to close loopholes of or to retailor our products and services and delivery channels to suit clients’ needs and market’s requirements;
• All SATHAPANA’s employees, especially credit-related staff, shall be well-trained and equipped with sufficient knowledge about the company’s products and services and all the processes required in appropriate service delivery.

SATHAPANA always regards client’s financial success is its. To partake in guarantee of such success for its clients, SATHAPANA shall always be vigilant to its practices in order to prevent the clients from falling into over-indebtedness in any way.

Standards of Principle 2

SATHAPANA sets out seven standards as the minimum requirements for prevention of over-indebtedness among its clients:

• With whatever reasons, SATHAPANA shall not employ the sales strategy or technique that could lead to overselling or causing over-indebtedness to its clients;
• Loans shall be provided to clients as long as they have plenty repayment ability and it has gone through an adequate cash flow analysis;
• SATHAPANA shall collaborate with all stakeholders, especially regulators, to make credit information available for all the industry players;
• All credit-related staff members are adequately equipped with good knowledge about risk prevention concerning selling of credit products and sound cash flow analysis of their clients;
• Clients are encouraged to remain in business relationship with the company if they fully cooperate in prevention of over-indebtedness;
• SATHAPANA shall lay down adequate requirements for internal inspection, monitoring, and review for branches, related business departments, and internal audit;
• SATHAPANA’s loans are not allowed for moneylenders.

Long-lasting business relationship with stakeholders, especially clients, is what SATHAPANA always pursues. Developing such relationships requires mutual trust between the clients and the company. To win trust from our clients, we must take full consideration on maintaining transparency in doing our business with them.

Standards of Principle 3

SATHAPANA practices five standards to honor its commitment being a transparent microfinance institution:

• None of the clients shall conclude a business deal with SATHAPANA without clear knowledge about product features, conditions, obligation, processes, and requirements they need to know and meet;
• Plenty of time shall be given to any prospects who want to have business deals with SATHAPANA;
• SATHAPANA shall welcome and create cooperative work environment for all stakeholders to review, inspect, audit, or trace back its activity when required;
• SATHAPANA shall employ as many means as required to communicate with its customers to ensure they stay tuning in;
• None of its customers shall not receive clear reasons for cutting business deals if SATHAPANA has to do so;
• All clients shall have privilege to receive information about their accounts and transactions as required.

Pricing is one of the main factors which defines how long the business deals between SATHAPANA and its clients can last. As SATHAPANA always wants to have long-term business relationships with all stakeholders, especially clients, SATHAPANA shall take great care about its pricing policy to make sure it is affordable, reasonable, and competitive in the market.

Standards of Principle 4

SATHAPANA shall use the following standards to ensure reasonable and competitive pricing policy:

• Interest rates and other charges shall be competitive in the market that ensure acceptable profitability for the company and affordability for the clients;
• Pricing policy should guarantee adequate risk coverage and in compliance with laws and regulations;

The five core values of the company clear imply how SATHAPANA builds and maintains business relationships with its customers. The core values guide the company to developing strategies, policies, and procedures where the process of service delivery must ensure the existence of fair and respectful treatment of its clients.

Standards of Principle 5

The following minimum standards shall additionally encourage such operational and administrative materials as policies and procedures to encompass this principle:

• All clients shall be serviced through official delivery processes;
• SATHAPANA’s employees must be attached to  courtesy, politeness, and gentle manner at all circumstances when dealing with people;
• SATHAPANA’s staff members shall be well trained about products and services, policies, and processes to create professional uniformity in service delivery;
• All clients shall have the same access to basic hospitality provided at each SATHAPANA’s office;
• Clients, regardless of their origin, race, region, political belief, language, etc., shall have the same access to all the products and services SATHAPANA offers, but they may receive the products and services with different specifications and conditions depending on their requirements and qualifications and risk assessment conducted by SATHAPANA;
• Clientds shall have privilege to make decision whether to have a business deal with SATHAPANA without fear;
• Third parties must align themselves with this standard if they wish to have business deals with SATHAPANA.

As SATHAPANA take building trust for its client into account, privacy and confidentiality of customer data shall receive full consideration from employees at all levels and circumstances. SATHAPANA has laid down the following minimum standards to promote prevalence of such consideration in the company:

Standards of Principle 6

• All SATHAPANA’s business strategies, policies, procedures, and processes must ensure no violation to client’s privacy;
• SATHAPANA shall employ filing systems either manual or electronic with good security level or encryption;
• Proper levels of access to client’s personal and account information must be clearly defined to ensure any access is done in good faith or in ordinary business activity;
• No client information is share with any third party without client’s consent;

SATHAPANA needs a proper mechanism for resolving complaints to promote customer satisfaction and to meet all the requirements of the above six principles. The standards below have been set out to create a formal mechanism for processing complaints from the public:

Standards of Principles-7

• SATHAPANA shall form a committee to handle or resolve complaints;
• The complaint mechanism shall make as many channels as possible available to the complainants and ensure all the complaints are resolved carefully, effectively;
• All employees shall receive adequate trainings and clearly understand the complaint mechanism;
• The public, especially customers, shall be adequately informed about the complaint mechanism and channels.