Sebi eases ‘scheme of arrangement’ rules for listed companies
Markets regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India on Wednesday relaxed disclosure, promoters' share lock-in and listing related compliance requirements for listed firms undertaking 'schemes of arrangement' such as mergers and demergers, including those involving subsidiaries and their divisions.
The move is aimed at expediting the processing of draft schemes. The decision has been taken after Sebi received representations suggesting improvements to the existing regulatory framework, Sebi said in a circular. The markets watchdog has relaxed certain disclosure requirements. The listed entities are no longer required to submit certain documents to the stock exchanges following the sanction of the scheme by the High Court or National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
These documents are copy of the High Court/NCLT approved scheme; result of voting by shareholders for approving the scheme; statement explaining changes, if any, and reasons for such changes carried out in the approved scheme vis-a-vis the draft scheme. The regulator said that the promoter's shares locked-in can now be transferred 'inter-se' among promoters.
Besides, such locked-in shares can be pledged with any scheduled commercial bank or public financial institution as collateral for loan granted by such bank or institution "if pledge of shares is one of the terms of sanction of the loan".