SECP amends policy to promote brokerage business

ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has amended the Securities Broker (Licensing and Operations) Regulations, 2016 to reduce regulatory burden and to promote ease of doing business for the brokerage industry.

The commission in a statement said under the statutory regulatory order (SRO), available on its website, a securities broker now has to obtain a single license to undertake brokerage activity in the capital market. To facilitate the brokerage industry as well as front line regulator - Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) - a concept of single expiry date for licenses of the entire brokerage industry has been implemented.

“Consequently, the validity date for the existing brokerage licenses have been extended to December 31, 2018, and the securities brokers may apply for renewal of licenses for the next calendar year by November 30, 2018.”

The license renewal process has also been simplified. The annual renewal would be processed upon submission of PSX’s recommendation along with an undertaking by the securities broker that he is compliant with all the regulatory requirements and deposit of regulatory fee, the SECP statement said.

“Since non-custodial model to carry out securities broker business does not exist, the concept of categorisation of securities brokers for licensing purposes has been eliminated. To facilitate the brokerage industry participants, the time line to comply with the existing financial resource requirements has been extended from June 30, 2018 to June 30, 2019,” it added.

The SECP has decided to grant license to only corporate entities to undertake any regulated activity in the capital markets and not to any individual.

“As the brokerage activity can only be undertaken in a corporate structure, the existing concept of agents for securities brokers has become redundant and is no more desirable.”

Accordingly, the Brokers and Agents Registration Rules, 2001, and the Members Agents and Traders (Eligibility Standards) Rules, 2001, have been repealed and all the existing agents, if already not employed, may be hired as employees by the securities brokers. The proposed Accredited Representatives Regulations, 2017, notified for public consultation, have also been withdrawn by the SECP.

The SECP has also proposed amendments to the Securities and Futures Advisers (Licensing and Operations) Regulations, 2017 in a separate SRO, which is available on the commission’s website for public opinion.

It proposes to make advisory regulatory regime more practicable and conducive. The mandatory advisory licensing requirement for securities brokers have been withdrawn.

The SECP has allowed securities brokers to provide securities advisory to their brokerage customers, being incidental to the conduct of their business without receiving any separate compensation thereof. Moreover, the securities brokers have also been allowed to distribute units of mutual funds and voluntary pension funds of multiple assets management companies (AMCs).

The SECP has segregated advisory regime into two segments. Advisory with portfolio management to be governed under the non-bank finance companies (NBFC) regime, and advisory with distribution of units of mutual funds and voluntary pension funds of multiple AMCs to be dealt under the amended Securities and Futures Advisers (Licensing and Operations) Regulations, 2017.

The proposed Securities Manager (Licensing and Operations) Regulations, 2017, notified for public consultation, have been withdrawn as the advisory business model encompassing portfolio management services is comprehensively covered under the NFBC regime.

To help broaden investors’ base, banks have been allowed to distribute units of mutual funds and voluntary pension funds of multiple AMCs, subject to certain regulatory requirements. To facilitate the existing distributors, the deadline to obtain license has been extended to June 30, 2018.

Rationalised licensing regime coupled with other measures introduced by the SECP, would definitely contribute in reducing regulatory burden and cost of doing business for the brokerage industry, ultimately promoting ease of doing business.