Business
Group Wants SEC To Review Operations’ Captial
The Securities and Ex
change Commission (SEC) has been urged to review downward its new minimum capital requirements for capital market operators.
Mr Emeka Madubuike, President, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), made the appeal in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos.
Madubuike said that the stockbrokers were worried over SEC’s inability to engage stockbrokers over the issue since Dec.20.
The Tide recalled that SEC, on Dec. 19, 2013, issued new capital requirements for capital market operators and pegged Dec. 31, 2014 as deadline for the operators to comply.
According to the new requirements, a broker/dealer now requires N300 million from N70 million as his or her minimum capital base.
Issuing houses operational capital base rose to N200 million from N150 million, while underwriters are now expected to have N200 million as minimum working capital from N100 million.
A registrar’s operational capital base was reviewed to N150 million from N50 million ,while a trustee’s capital base rose to N300 million from N40 million.
A Rating Agency is to have N150 million from N20 million.
Madubuike said that the new capital base would increase the rate of unemployment in the country.
He said that the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and ASHON ,on Dec.20, 2013, wrote to the commission for a meeting to address the grey areas.
He said that the stockbrokers were still expecting the commission’s response for a discussion.
‘’We wrote a letter to SEC for us to meet, the letter was sent late last year and we are waiting for a response and we have done a reminder,’’ Madubuike said.
Madubuike said that brokers wanted the commission to address the outstanding issues in the market before coming out with the new capital requirements.
The ASHON president said that many brokers would find it difficult to raise the funds due to the prevailing economic situation.