What’s in this article
Hiring a corporate secretary is one of the things businesses do after incorporation. As a fundamental role in a company, a corporate secretary does more than just filing paperwork or performing basic duties such as answering phone calls, and other administrative tasks.
A company secretary also shares legal advice and duties with the company director. Aside from the legal activities, the appointed company secretary is tasked to review the board’s procedures and corporate governance matters regularly. This is governed by the Indonesia Financial Services Authority Regulation No. 35/POJK.04/2014 of 8 December 2014 on Corporate Secretary of Issuers or Public Companies.
With such an important role being passed on to a company secretary, there are some crucial factors to consider before deciding on one!
Qualities of a Company Secretary
Beyond the legal requirements that must be met or risk getting penalised by the authorities, there are also qualities that one should possess in order to fulfil the responsibilities of a company secretary:
What are the Responsibilities of a Company Secretary in Indonesia?
Apart from being an admin assistance, the role of a company secretary has since evolved into an important character in every company. Here are some of the tasks you can expect for a company secretary in Indonesia:
Factors to consider when hiring a Company Secretary
Here are some tips that you should consider before hiring a company secretary:
1. Clear understanding of the Indonesia company laws
As the company secretary is the legal assistance of a company, it only make sense to appoint someone that is familiar with the laws and regulations of Indonesia. With an incompetent secretary, there might be risks that your company breaching certain laws and incurring penalties or getting yourself into court cases not in your favour.
For instance, a company secretary of an auditing firm should know when to submit the audited annual reports to the registrar, failure to do so will result in fines which is not ideal.
2. Proficient communication skills
A company secretary acts and represents the company while conversing with external stakeholders such as shareholders and directors. They must also be able to facilitate general meetings, annual general meetings as well as meeting with the directors of the company.
Accompanied with their knowledge of legal matters, they are not doubly able to provide professional and unbiased advice to the audience.
3. Strong administrative skills
Beyond being the company’s ‘right-handed man’, company secretaries in Indonesia should also be able to handle other financial tasks such as filing tax returns as well as annual reports. They should also be able to pick up calls and answer any quires a customer may have.
While these financial tasks can be outsourced as accounting and audit services, the company secretary should be able to understand, check, and liaise with the firms directly.
4. Efficient financial skills
A company secretary should also be able to handle financial statements at ease, hence it is only logical that the secretary you hire should have an above average familiarity with financial knowledge. This will lower the risks of misstatements made by inexperienced secretary, causing the company to make a loss because of a simple information the inexperienced secretary has missed out.
How Vital Is This Role?
Only a qualified person or secretarial services are required for the crucial function of company secretary. This is especially true because the responsibilities and roles of this position go beyond simple administrative tasks and include responsibilities that are critical to the company’s survival.
The company secretary has a critical responsibility in ensuring that statutory compliance matters under the Companies Act are enhanced and enforced, as well as ensuring that the board of directors’ practices good corporate governance. This isn’t always straightforward, especially if the company secretary’s advice runs counter to the board of directors’ wishes.
Are Companies in Indonesia Required to Appoint a Corporate Secretary-
While it is highly encouraged for all companies to hire a company secretary in Indonesia, it is not a requirement to appoint one unless you own a public company (Local PT).
The roles and responsibilities of a company secretary goes above and beyond just administrative tasks as mentioned above. Hence, engaging corporate secretarial services will allow business owners to eliminate these tasks relating to corporate governance and focus on growing the business.
Here at Paul Hype Page, we pride ourselves as one of the best corporate secretarial firms in Indonesia. As your corporate secretary, we will remind you of your key filing dates while ensuring all in your company is in good order.
FAQs
Services. Scope of Work. Keeping, maintaining and updating of statutory books and registers. Providing assistance with understanding & compliance with Companies Acts. Reminders of the various statutory compliance deadlines.
The desirable qualities of the company secretary include:
- Being familiar with and understanding the provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the company.
- Be conversant and in compliance with of different statutory and regulatory bodies.
- Ensuring correct procedures are followed and adherence to it in accordance with the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&A) and the Companies Act, 2016.
- Advise the board and ensure the interests of the board and the company are always taken care of.
- Expertise for Company law
- Communication Skills
- Compliance
- Time Management & Multi-Tasking
- Attention to Detail
- Meticulous Planning
It is not compulsory for private companies to appoint a corporate secretary in Indonesia. However, it is mandatory for public listed companies.