1. Purpose
This policy sets out who may approve, sign, vary, renew, terminate, or commit Murzo Group to contracts, spending, liabilities, legal obligations, authority submissions, and other binding commitments.
The purpose is to prevent unauthorised commitments, unclear authority, accidental liability, hidden obligations, unmanaged risk, and inconsistent contract positions across Murzo Group.
2. Scope
This policy applies to contracts, purchase orders, leases, property transactions, tenders, customer terms, supplier terms, agency agreements, distributor agreements, employment offers, settlement agreements, NDAs, software licences, data processing terms, insurance notices, customs broker appointments, fiscal representatives, finance documents, public authority submissions, and any arrangement that may bind Murzo Group.
3. Authority Principle
Only authorised people may bind Murzo Group. Authority may come from the board, a director, a written delegation, an approved role, or a specific approval for the transaction.
No worker, contractor, agent, distributor, adviser, or local partner may imply they can bind Murzo Group unless that authority has been clearly granted.
4. Approval Triggers
- Contracts involving material value, unusual liability, indemnities, guarantees, exclusivity, long duration, auto-renewal, or termination restrictions
- Property acquisition, leasing, facilities, overseas premises, land, farming sites, storage, or warehousing
- Government contracts, defence, security, public procurement, controlled goods, export controls, or sanctions-sensitive activity
- Food safety, product safety, cultural property, high-value goods, regulated products, or recall obligations
- Employment, contractor, agency, commission, introducer, distributor, or overseas partner arrangements
- Data protection, software, AI, cybersecurity, intellectual property assignment, open-source use, or confidential information
- Tax, VAT, customs, fiscal representative, importer of record, exporter of record, and overseas legal presence commitments
5. Signing Rules
Signing authority should match the risk and value of the commitment. Signing a document, clicking acceptance, sending approval by email, issuing a purchase order, using a platform, or continuing performance may create legal obligations.
People must not split transactions, use personal accounts, bypass approval, or accept standard terms without checking whether they contain unusual risk.
6. Legal and Specialist Review
Legal, tax, customs, insurance, property, data protection, employment, product safety, food safety, security, or technical review should be obtained where the subject matter is specialist, high value, regulated, international, public-sector, or outside ordinary activity.
7. Delegations
Delegations should be clear, proportionate, and limited by value, activity, geography, duration, and risk where needed. A delegated authority may be withdrawn or limited if risk changes.
Delegation to approve a commercial deal does not automatically include authority to approve tax treatment, product compliance, sanctions risk, insurance cover, public statements, or legal admissions.
8. Prohibited Conduct
- Signing or accepting terms without authority
- Allowing a third party to believe authority exists where it does not
- Using side letters, informal assurances, or private messages to alter approved terms
- Committing Murzo Group to overseas legal, tax, property, employment, customs, or regulated obligations without review
- Admitting liability, waiving rights, settling claims, or notifying insurers without authorisation
9. Evidence and Review
Approval and contract evidence should be limited to what is needed to prove authority, terms, performance, renewal, termination, legal advice, insurance, tax, or dispute position.
This policy will be reviewed when Murzo Group changes governance model, authorises new roles, enters new markets, or takes on materially different contract risk.
