Norms for Investor Protection Fund for commexes issued Sebi issues disclosure norm for commodity exchanges
To further strengthen the commodity market, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Monday issued a detailed framework on Investor Protection Fund (IPF), which can be used for investor education and awareness programmes.
Spelling out detailed guidelines of constitution and management of IPF, contribution to the Fund and eligibility of claims, Sebi asked exchanges to ensure that the funds in the IPF are well-segregated from that of the bourse and that the IPF is immune from any liability of the exchange.
All the penalties levied and collected by the commodity exchanges, except for the settlement-related fines, including penalties from delivery default, would be part of the IPF.
Besides, one per cent of the turnover fee charged by the exchanges from the brokers or ~25 lakh, whichever is lower in a financial year, would go to IPF.
Sebi has started regulating the commodity market after the merger of Forward Markets Commission (FMC) with it in September last year.
This circular is being issued to consolidate and update such norms prescribed for commodity bourses by erstwhile FMC.
Sebi said that IPF would be administered by a Trust created for this purpose. The Trust would comprise two eminent persons, the exchange's MD and CEO and its one independent director (these names will be suggested by the bourse and approved by Sebi).
The bourses would have to disclose in their financial statements, the IPF trust as a related party as well as the details of transactions between the respective exchanges and IPF trust as per new accounting standards.
With regard to filing of claims, Sebi said that exchanges would have to publish a notice inviting legitimate claimants to file claims against the defaulter member within 90 days. The claims received against the defaulter member during the specified period would be eligible for being considered for compensation from the IPF.
"If any eligible claim arises within three years from the date of expiry of the specified period, such claims will be processed at the discretion of the IPF Trust. Any claim received after three years from the date of expiry of the specified period and not processed by the IPF Trust will be dealt with as civil dispute," Sebi said.
Any appeal against the nonentertaining of claims by the Trust would be referred to the bourse's board for decision. The claims of the retail clients alone would be eligible for compensation form the IPF. Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Monday asked commodity exchanges to make quarterly disclosure about disablement of member terminals, along with duration of such activity, due to shortage of funds and margins. Sebi had started regulating commodity markets after the merger of Forward Markets Commission (FMC) with the markets regulator in September last year.
This circular is being issued to consolidate and update such norms prescribed for commodity bourses by erstwhile FMC.
“The disablement of terminals of the members along with duration of disablement due to shortage of funds, margin money etc, shall be disclosed by exchange on its website at the end of every quarter — June 30, September 30, December 31 and March 31,” Sebi said in a circular.