2020-01-01
The Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) of Egypt issued Decision No. (99) of 2020 to amend Decision No. (176) of 2018 regarding the establishment and licensing requirements for rating agencies. The amendment mandates that when a rating agency lacks independence from the beneficiary entity, a qualified paying agent or independent third party must oversee sukuk return distributions, monitor issuer obligations, and convene holder meetings upon request. Furthermore, both the rating agency and the appointed independent party are required to issue periodic asset quality reports, renew credit ratings through FRA-registered agencies, and immediately disclose material events or conflicts of interest, particularly for private sukuk issuances.
FINANCIAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY
Amending Decision of the Board of Directors of the Authority No. (176) of 2018 Regarding the Establishment and Licensing Requirements for Rating Agencies
The Board of Directors of the Financial Regulatory Authority
Having reviewed the Capital Market Law issued by Law No. (95) of 1997 and its Executive Regulations; And Law No. (10) of 2009 regulating supervision over non-banking financial markets and instruments; And Decision of the Board of Directors of the Authority No. (176) of 2018 regarding the establishment and licensing requirements for rating agencies; And after approval by the Authority's Board of Directors in its meeting held on 23/6/2020;
Three new paragraphs shall be added to Article Seven of Decision of the Board of Directors of the Authority No. (176) of 2018 regarding the establishment and licensing requirements for rating agencies, with the following text:
In the event that the independence condition with the beneficiary entity is not met as stipulated in item (2) of the preceding paragraph, the rating agency must have the paying agent or any other independent party, independent of both the beneficiary entity and the rating agency and approved by the Authority, perform the following tasks:
1- Monitor the issuer's distribution of sukuk returns and the repayment of the sukuk's principal value on the dates specified for this purpose in the offering prospectus.
2- Monitor the rating agency's obligations set forth in the information memorandum in accordance with the provisions of the Capital Market Law and its Executive Regulations.
3- Convene a meeting of the sukuk holders whenever necessary, or upon a written request from sukuk holders whose nominal sukuk ownership does not fall below (10%) of the total nominal value of the issuance.
Both the rating agency and the paying agent or independent party shall be committed to the following:
1- Issuing a periodic report to the Authority and the sukuk holders, disclosing the quality of the securitized assets.
2- Renewing the credit rating of the asset or asset portfolio from one of the credit rating agencies registered with the Authority.
3- Immediately disclosing any material event that could affect the asset's cash flows or the returns due to sukuk holders.
4- Immediately disclosing any conflict of interest situations.
In all cases, whenever a paying agent or independent party is appointed as mentioned in the preceding two paragraphs, the sukuk issuance must be private, and sukuk holders must be disclosed the nature of the relationship between the beneficiary entity and the rating agency.
This Decision shall be published in the Egyptian Gazette and on the Authority's website, and shall take effect from the day following its publication in the Egyptian Gazette.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Authority Dr. Mohamed Omran
Smart Village, Building 137, Giza, Egypt Postal Code: 110 Telephone: +2027052050 Fax: +2023070067 WWW.FRA.GOV.EG
Building Bridges not Walls Between Bridges, Not Barriers