SEBI puts in place new form for ASBA

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With a checklist regime kicking in for initial public offerings (IPOs), capital markets regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has put in place a new form for ASBA (Application Supported by Blocked Amount) facility.

ASBA facility has become mandatory for all categories of investors applying for a public issue for making payment from Friday. The facility allows the bid amount to remain in the applicants account till the time the shares are finally allotted.

In a circular, SEBI said that the application form for ASBA would be printed in a booklet form of A4 size paper.

Besides, SEBI has prescribed white colour form for Resident Indian, NRIs applying on a non repatriation basis and blue colour form for NRIs, Foreign Venture Capital Investor, Foreign Institutional Investors, their Sub-Accounts (other than sub-accounts which are foreign corporates or foreign individuals bidding under the QIB Portion), on a repatriation basis.

It further said that top of the application form will have a coloured identifier strap incorporating the name of the issuer, ISIN (An International Securities Identification Number) and type of form (Repatriation, Non- Repatriation). Besides, the main application should have information about eight digit application number, PAN number, bidders depository account details, investor category, among others.

A confirmation by the applicant (on behalf of joint bidders) that he/she has read, understood and agrees to such confirmations is also required.

The regulator said that application should also highlight about different category of investors (retail, non-institutional and QIBs), number of equity shares (reservation if applicable), percentage of issue available for allotment, basis of allocation in case of over-subscription, mode of allotment and terms of payment.

The new circular will be applicable for all public issues opening on or after January 1, 2016, SEBI said.

The regulator, in August, had made ASBA facility mandatory for all categories of investors applying for a public issue.

In order to enhance the points for submission of applications, SEBI had also allowed Registrar and Share Transfer Agents (RTAs) and Depository Participants (DPs) to accept application forms (both physical as well as online) and make bids on the stock exchange platform.

This will be over and above the stock brokers and banks where such facilities are presently available. The number of bank branches with ASBA facility has now increased to about 95,500, from 9,800 when this facility was introduced.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/new-form-for-asba-in-place/article8055065.ece

Government extends tax residency rule – Place of Effective Management

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A deadline for comments on the draft guidelines to determine the tax residency of a foreign company has been extended to January 9.

The government felt the need to determine a company’s place of effective management due to lack of detail in the Income Tax Act leading to the possibility of tax avoidance.

“Representations requesting for extension of the last day for submitting comments and suggestions, have been received and considered,” according to a government statement announcing the extension of the deadline for comments on the issue, earlier slated for January 2.

The Place of Effective Management (POEM) of a company, as the concept was called, was introduced in the Finance Act, 2015 to determine the tax residency of a foreign company.

The draft guidelines for what defines a company’s place of effective management, released on December 23, defines the POEM as “a place where key management and commercial decisions that are necessary for the conduct of the business of an entity as a whole are, in substance made.”

“Section 6(3) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, prior to its amendment by the Finance Act, 2015, provided that a company is said to be resident in India in any previous year, if it is an Indian company or if during that year, the control and management of its affairs is situated wholly in India. This allowed tax avoidance opportunities for companies to artificially escape the residential status under these provisions by shifting insignificant or isolated events related with control and management outside India,” according to draft guidelines issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes.

“As per the amendment brought in by the Finance Act, 2015 a foreign company will be regarded as a tax resident of India, if its POEM in that year is in India,” according to a report by Deloitte and CII.

According to the Deloitte report, there is ambiguity around some of the provisions in the guidelines, such as the duration for which a company has India as a place of effective management. “A question may still arise that for a foreign company to be resident in India, is it necessary that the POEM should be situated in India throughout the financial year under consideration or mainly in India.

Similarly, the term “key management and commercial decisions” in the definition of POEM seems to be causing some confusion.

“Unlike, for instance, the UK, India does not define the term ‘key management and commercial decisions’ and therefore these are undefined and subjective.

In the UK, judicial precedents and tax rules lay emphasis on whether directors/officers taking major decisions are independent, are empowered to take these or whether such directors/officers are acting under the influence or direction of shareholders,” Mr.Alex Postma, Leader–Global and EMEIA International Tax Services, EY had said in a note.

Enterprises have become increasingly mobile and technology and connectivity are as important as never before in their global competence. This poses risks that a travelling executive may create significant unforeseen tax burdens in India,” Mr. Postma added in his note.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/government-extends-tax-residency-rule-deadline/article8055070.ece

Czech Republic to help India modernise heavy industry

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India has signed a protocol with Czech Republic to promote bilateral cooperation in the field of heavy industry, especially in industrial cooperation and facilities construction, the Union Cabinet was apprised today.

The protocol includes modernisation of the existing facilities in India by the Czech companies, including modernisation of three plants of Heavy Engineering Corporation and a central public sector enterprise (CPSE) under the Department of Heavy Industries at Ranchi, set up with Czech support in early 1960’s.

“The aim of the protocol is to promote bilateral cooperation…in the field of heavy industry on the principle of mutual convenience and benefit, in accordance with the laws valid on the territories of the states of the Parties and their obligations resulting from other international agreements,” an official statement said.

Source:  http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/50467014.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

US, India to boost defence ties, fast-track co-production

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India and the US have ramped up their defence and strategic ties by agreeing to fast-track co-production ventures as their defence ministers held wide-ranging talks on regional and global security issues besides discussing the growing menace of terrorism.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his American counterpart Ashton Carter held one-and-a-half hour long closed door discussions yesterday during which the two leaders “reviewed the cooperation between our armed forces which have grown stronger”.

Parrikar said India and US share a strategic partnership that reflects their shared values and interests. Defence and security cooperation is a vital component of this partnership, he said.

Describing the Indo-US defence partnership as an anchor of global security, Carter said the Obama Administration is ready to further strengthen this relationship.

“The Indo-Asia-Pacific is one of the most consequential parts of the world for America’s future. And we welcome India’s rise as a security partner in a region where half of humanity lives, and half of the world’s economic activity takes place,” Carter told reporters at a joint news conference with the visiting Indian Defence Minister.

Carter informed Parrikar that the US has updated its policy on gas-turbine engine technology transfer to India to expand cooperation in production and design of sensitive jet engine components.

As a result of this policy update, Carter said that the US will be able to expand cooperation in production and design of sensitive jet engine components.

Carter and Parrikar look forward to US companies working with their Indian counterparts to submit transfer requests that will benefit from this updated policy, said a joint statement.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed ways and means to move the ambitious Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) forward.

Expressing satisfaction with DTTI progress to date, the two committed themselves to identifying additional projects for possible co-development and co-production of high technology items that meet the transformational intent of DTTI, the joint statement said.

This was the third meeting between the two leaders in less than six months.

Yesterday the two leaders stayed together for nine hours, including four hours abroad USS Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

“Through our meetings today and expanded cooperation in the days to come, the US-India defence partnership will become an anchor of global security, as together, we work towards a common future, a common future between the United States and India that is destined,” Carter said.
“This is a relationship that will be critical in strengthening the Indo-Asia-Pacific security architecture, so that everyone there can continue to rise and prosper,” said the US Defence Secretary.

Carter said he and Parrikar discussed the progress that has been made towards cooperation on jet engines and aircraft carrier design and construction as well as opportunities to collaborate on additional projects of interest, which will also further Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ policy.

Parrikar said their desire is to further collaborate in the higher-end technologies within the framework of DTTI.

“The assurance I have, and I am confident of that India is placed at a level which would ensure that red tapism is cut. I think this is the biggest take home one can get. We have got a very clear promise and we have been experiencing it that our issues are fast-tracked,” he told reporters.

Parrikar said some US companies have shown interest in setting up manufacturing base in India for fighter jets for which India has asked the Pentagon if there is any advance clearance system from their side.

“They (US) are very positive on that,” the Minister said adding that the US side has indicated that pre-approval could be considered on all such proposals coming from companies like Boeing and Lockheed.

As many as 17 new ideas for cooperation under the DTTI are also being discussed.

“We have identified many new areas for cooperative research and development, and both sides are committed to continue to exchange ideas in the search for additional projects for possible co-development and co-production that meet the spirit of DTTI,” he said.

Both sides said that progress has been made on the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) pathfinder projects which include the Raven mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), “roll-on, roll-off” mission modules for C-130J aircraft, Mobile Electric Hybrid Power Sources (MEHPS) and Next Generation Protective Ensemble (NGPE) for soldiers.

The two leaders discussed range of regional security issues, including the threat posed by the Islamic State and entities such as Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company, the Haqqani Network and other regional terror groups, according the joint statement.

Parrikar said in all his meetings in the US, terrorism was one of the key issues of discussions with American leadership.

“The issue of terrorism was a key topic discussion in all engagements Terrorism has become a global phenomenon and requires a comprehensive response. Terrorists of all shades and affiliations must be countered without any differentiation,” he told reporters.

Carter said terrorism of all kinds in South Asia has been and remains a serious problem. India, he said, has been attacked and is continuously threatened with attack from terrorists. However, India has ruled out any enhancement of its role

in the Middle East in view of the emergence of deadly ISIS in Syria and Libya.

Parrikar said there has been no change in India’s policy on participating only in UN approved peacekeeping missions.

But India is and has been sharing intelligence with the US on issues related to terrorism, he said.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/us-india-to-boost-defence-ties-fast-track-co-production-115121100316_1.html

SEBI to allow soon mutual funds sale on e-commerce platforms

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SEBI Chairman, U K Sinha said sale of mutual funds on e-commerce platforms could become effective in a month, a move which will help deepen the respective market. He said sale of mutual funds on e-commerce platforms could become effective in a month, a move which will help deepen the respective market. The markets regulator has set up a committee under Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to deliberate ways in which electronic means can be used better for sale of mutual funds (MF).

The committee is also working to make sale of mutual funds possible on e-commerce platforms, the SEBI Chairman said. “My guess is that in the next one month, this will be done (permitting sale of mutual funds on e-commerce websites),” he said while speaking to media on the sidelines of the launch of Bandhan Bank’s 600th branch.

According to Sinha, mutual fund growth in the country has been “very good” and that an ever-growing number of consumers flock to e-commerce websites for shopping. “However, electronic means are not used as well as they should have been and the growth is not happening using such means. We have some experts deliberating on how the electronic means can be used better,” Sinha said.

Targeting the young and educated people with high salaries and disposable income, Sinha said, the move would help them invest easily. “If these people are doing e-shopping, and they know financial markets, then they should also invest in MFs and that is the direction in which we are thinking,” the SEBI Chairman said.

On listing of start-ups, Sinha said it will take its own time. “Important thing to note is that the regulations are in place. If there is a company under pressure, there is alternative before the company to raise(funds),” Sinha noted, adding that the markets regulator was in dialogue with start-ups related to the issue.

Sinha also noted that some start-ups have raised issues concerning taxation but the same is beyond the jurisdiction of SEBI. On initial public offers (IPOs), the SEBI chief said that the pipeline by companies for the coming year is “very healthy”. “You might have noticed that the time taken by SEBI in providing its observations, has come down substantially. Earlier, matters went up to one year, now it is three months on an average for IPOs.”

Sinha noted that SEBI had allowed Rs 60,000 crore worth of IPOs in 2013-14, but the promoters had decided to withdraw the offers implying lack of desire to make investments. “In 2014-15 we saw around Rs 9,500 crore worth of IPOs and this year already Rs 18,000 crore has been garnered through IPOs, while the pipeline going forward is very healthy”, Sinha said.

Source: http://yourstory.com/2015/12/sebi-mutual-funds-e-commerce/

Russia eyes trillion roubles from privatisation in 2016: Anton Siluanov, Finance Minister

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Anton Siluanov, Finance Minister, RussiaRussia aims to raise 1 trillion roubles ($13.53 billion) from privatisation next year, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said in an interview aired on Thursday, signalling a major acceleration of plans to sell state assets.

These plans, ambitious on paper, have largely ground to a halt over the last three years against the background of poor stock market conditions, exacerbated by a plunge in oil prices and Western sanctions linked to the Ukraine conflict.

However, the same negative economic developments also mean that the government is increasingly strapped for cash, giving it an incentive to speed up privatisation as an alternative to raising taxes, cutting spending or exhausting fiscal reserves.

“Next year we will seriously change our approach to privatisation,” Siluanov said in the interview on Rossiya-24 television. “The Russian government is preparing proposals to sell stakes in large companies.”

He added that “in the first instance” the state oil firm Rosneft was being prepared for privatisation. Bashneft , a smaller oil company that was renationalised last year, is also under consideration.

Plans to sell a 19.5 per cent stake in Rosneft were first announced in 2013 and approved by the government a year ago, but progress has been minimal. Rosneft is presently 69.5 per cent state-owned.

While the finance ministry is eager to accelerate privatisation to boost state revenues, opponents – among them Rosneft’s CEO Igor Sechin – have repeatedly argued that privatisation should be delayed until stock prices are significantly higher.

Source:  http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/50394780.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst