2015-01-01
Issued by the Registrar of Financial Institutions under the Financial Services Act, 2010, this Directive mandates that all securities representatives obtain a licence to operate. It establishes application and renewal procedures requiring a K50,000 fee, specifies valid licence periods expiring annually on 31 December, and outlines minimum educational qualifications and experience thresholds detailed in the Fourth Schedule. Furthermore, it grants the Registrar authority to suspend or revoke licences for non-compliance and impose monetary penalties of up to K10 million, while formally revoking the 2011 Securities Directive.
21st August, 2015
(d) investments; (e) listing fees receivable; (f) deferred tax; (g) members fund; and (h) revenue reserves.
Made this 4th day of May, 2015.
C. S. R. CHUKA Registrar of Financial Institutions
(FILE NO.EA/FSPU/1/1)
GOVERNMENT NOTICE NO. 23
FINANCIAL SERVICES ACT, 2010 (No. 20 of 2010)
FINANCIAL SERVICES (LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR SECURITIES REPRESENTATIVES) DIRECTIVE, 2015
ARRANGEMENT OF PARAGRAPHS
PARAGRAPH
PART I—PRELIMINARY
PART II—OBJECTIVES 3. Objectives
PART III—LICENSING 4. Application for a licence 5. Grant or denial of licence 6. Renewal of a licence 7. Suspension or revocation of a licence 8. Notification of transfer
PART IV—MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 9. Qualifications and experience of securities representatives
PART V—REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 10. Reporting requirements
PART VI—ENFORCEMENT ACTION 11. Monetary Penalty
PART VII—REVOCATION 12. Revocation
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SCHEDULES: First Schedule: Licence Application Form Second Schedule: Licence Third Schedule: Licence Renewal Application Form Fourth Schedule: Minimum Educational Qualifications and Experience for Securities Representatives
IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by section 21(5) of the Financial Services Act, I, CHARLES S. R. CHUKA, Registrar of Financial Institutions, issue the following Directive—
PART I—PRELIMINARY
Citation
Interpretation 2. In this Directive, unless the context otherwise requires— "securities representative" has the meaning ascribed to that term in the Securities Act.
PART II—OBJECTIVES
Objectives 3. The objectives of this Directive are to— (a) ensure that securities representatives are licensed and comply with the provisions of the Act and the Securities Act; (b) protect the interests of investors and the public in general; and (c) promote professional standards among securities representatives in the provision of their services.
PART III—LICENSING
Application for a licence 4.—(1) A person shall not operate as a securities representative unless licensed as such.
(2) An application for a licence to operate as a securities representative shall be made by a person who is an employee of a broker, dealer, portfolio manager or an operator of a collective investment scheme.
(3) The application for a licence under sub-paragraph (1) shall be— (a) made in the Form set out in the First Schedule hereto; and (b) accompanied by a non-refundable application fee of fifty thousand Kwacha (K50,000.00).
(4) An applicant who wishes to amend any documentation submitted in support of an application for a licence under sub-paragraph (2) shall first obtain an approval from the Registrar.
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(5) All licences issued under sub-paragraph (2) shall be valid for up to a period of one calendar year and shall expire on 31st December of each year regardless of the time an application is made.
Grant or denial of licence 5.—(1) The Registrar shall communicate to an applicant the outcome of the application made under paragraph 4, within sixty (60) days of receipt of a complete application.
(2) Where the Registrar approves an application for a licence, the Registrar shall issue a licence to the applicant in the Form set out in the Second Schedule hereto.
(3) Where the Registrar has not approved an application for a licence,— (a) the Registrar shall, in writing, communicate to the applicant, citing the reasons for the decision; and (b) the applicant may appeal to the Financial Services Appeals Committee within twenty (21) days after being notified of the Registrar's decision.
Renewal of a licence 6. An application for a renewal of a licence issued under paragraph 4 shall be— (a) made in the prescribed Form set out in the Third Schedule hereto; (b) made at least two months prior to the expiry of the licence; and (c) accompanied by a non-refundable renewal fee of fifty thousand Kwacha (K50,000.00).
Suspension or revocation of a licence 7. The Registrar may, on written notice to a securities representative, suspend or revoke the securities representative's licence where the Registrar is satisfied that— (a) the securities representative has become subject to a statutory disqualification; (b) the securities representative has become subject to a statutory restriction; (c) the securities representative has failed to comply with any condition of his licence; (d) the securities representative has contravened any provision of the Act, Securities Act or any Directive made thereunder; (e) an employer of the securities representative has ceased to be a holder of an operating licence; or (f) the securities representative has ceased to be employed by the person who was his employer at the time the licence was granted.
Notification of transfer 8.—(1) An employer shall report to the Registrar when a securities representative ceases to be in his employment and shall surrender that securities representative's licence.
(2) A securities representative shall, on ceasing employment, surrender his licence to his employer.
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PART IV—MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OF SECURITIES REPRESENTATIVES
Qualifications and experience of securities representatives 9. A person shall be eligible to apply for a licence to operate as a securities representative where he has the minimum educational qualifications and has the number of years of experience set out in the Fourth Schedule hereto.
PART V—REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications and experience of securities representatives 10. A securities representative shall, in writing, inform the Registrar, where he has reasonable ground to believe that his employer has contravened or is likely to contravene the provisions of the Act, or any other financial services law.
PART VI—ENFORCEMENT ACTION
Monetary penalty 11. The Registrar shall impose a monetary penalty of up to ten million Kwacha (K10,000,000.00 million) for any violations of this Directive.
PART VII—REVOCATION
Revocation 12. The Securities (Securities Representative) Directive, 2011 is hereby revoked.
FIRST SCHEDULE (para 4 (2) (a))
APPLICATION FOR A LICENCE TO OPERATE AS A SECURITIES REPRESENTATIVE
Licence Application Form All questions shall be answered in full.
Application is hereby made for the grant of a licence to operate as a securities representative under the Financial Services Act, 2010 and the following statements are made in respect thereof—
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(b) had any judgment involving findings of fraud or other dishonesty, misrepresentation, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty or professional negligence given against the applicant in any civil proceedings? (if so, please provide details)
(c) contravened any written law designed for protecting members of the public against financial loss due to dishonesty, incompetence or malpractice by persons concerned in the provision of financial services or the management of companies or against financial loss due to the conduct of discharged or undischarged bankrupts? (if so, please provide details)
(d) been subjected to any form of disciplinary proceedings or action by any professional or regulatory body? (if so, please provide details)
I, the undersigned, do hereby certify that:
Dated ....................this..........................day of..................................20.......... Signature.................................................................. Name.......................................................................
Notes:
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SECOND SCHEDULE (para 5(2))
LICENCE REGISTRAR OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FINANCIAL SERVICES ACT, 2010
SECURITIES REPRESENTATIVE LICENCE
A LICENCE is hereby granted to..................................................of..................................to operate as a Securities representative. This licence is issued subject to the provisions of the Financial Services Act, 2010 and is valid for a period of one year from ................................. to .................................
ISSUED THIS.................................. DAY OF.................................. 20
REGISTRAR OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
THIRD SCHEDULE (para 6(a))
APPLICATION FOR A RENEWAL OF A LICENCE TO OPERATE AS A SECURITIES REPRESENTATIVE
LICENCE RENEWAL APPLICATION FORM
All questions shall be answered in full.
Application is hereby made for the renewal of a licence to operate as a securities representative under the Financial Services Act, 2010 and the following statements are made in respect thereof—
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(If so, please provide details) (b) had any judgment involving findings of fraud or other dishonesty, misrepresentation, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty or professional negligence given against the applicant in any civil proceedings? (if so, please provide details) (c) contravened any written law designed for protecting members of the public against financial loss due to dishonesty, incompetence or malpractice by persons concerned in the provision of financial services or the management of companies or against financial loss due to the conduct of discharged or undischarged bankrupts? (if so, please provide details) (d) been subjected to any form of disciplinary proceedings or action by any professional or regulatory body? (if so, please provide details)
I, the undersigned, do hereby certify that: (1) All the information given in response to the questions and in support of the application is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. (2) To the best of my knowledge and belief there are no other facts or information relevant to this application of which the Registrar should be made aware of and I hereby pledge to promptly inform the Registrar of any material change to this application which may arise while it is being considered.
Dated this..........................day of..................................20.......... Signature.................................................................. Name.......................................................................
Notes:
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FOURTH SCHEDULE (para 9(b))
QUALIFICATIONS EXPERIENCE SECURITIES REPRESENTETIVES
PART I—LOCAL QUALIFICATIONS
| Local Qualifications | Requisite Experience |
|---|---|
| Institute of Chartered Accountants in Malawi Technician Diploma | 4 years |
| A business degree from a recognized University | 1 year |
| Institute of Chartered Accountants in Malawi Certificate | 1 year |
| Other qualifications evaluated by Registrar on a case by case basis | As may be determined by the Registrar |
PART II—FOREIGN QUALIFICATIONS
| Local Qualifications | Requisite Experience |
|---|---|
| Investment Advice Certificate from the South African Institute of Financial Markets | 1 year |
| A business degree from a recognized University | 1 year |
| Registered Persons Examinations Certificate from the South African Institute of Financial Markets | 2 years |
| Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) or Chartered Institute of Management Accountant (CIMA) Certificate | 1 year |
| Chartered Financial Analyst (any level) | None |
| Other qualifications evaluated by the Registrar on a case by case basis | Determined by the Registrar on a case by case basis |
Made this 4th day of May, 2015.
C. S. R. CHUKA Registrar of Financial Institutions
(FILE NO.EA/FSPU/1/1)