Rs50,000 Cr at Stake; SEBI Clampdown Coming on MFs Lending against Shares to Promoters

IANS 05 February 2019

Alarmed by the recent Zee episode in which nine mutual funds (MFs) were found to have lent a staggering Rs7,000 crore to promoters of Zee group and then found themselves unable to liquidate the security of listed shares for fear of being unable to recover their full amounts, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is preparing to bring new regulations that will expressly prohibit MFs from entering into such transactions, according to sources.

Not just that, the market regulator is planning to direct MFs to convert all existing innovative security structures into direct pledge of shares, to give at least some measure of control to the MFs.

Of late, with the use of fancy footwork by promoters and MFs alike, there has been a spate of similar transactions with NDUs (non-disposal undertakings), non-encumbrance undertakings and covenants limiting transfer of shares, but all falling short of pledging the shares.

Considering how illusory the security of pledged shares has proven in the Zee episode, SEBI feels all other fancy structures, obviously, provide no safety at all to investors and these need into direct pledge of shares immediately.

This will also ensure full disclosure of the extent of shares pledged, because promoters have been playing hide-and-seek with the disclosure requirement through the use of non-pledge structures.

The MF industry has currently lent over Rs 50,000 crore to promoters of listed companies against their shareholding and, not surprisingly, given this huge magnitude of public funds involved, SEBI is moving double quick to preempt imbroglios such as the one involving Zee.

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Comments

User

tapan sur

5 years ago

Financial irregularities pop up even though many new regulations are drafted so that irregularities do not take place, but ruthless, financial operators, find all loopholes to short change and make money on the sly, or in most cases lose money, the common man suffering without any remedy. Will this duping of the common man through financial products ever stop, or financial products mean wheeling dealing by unscrupulous operators who indulge in this financial game, and we The common man must stop our investments unless there are exemplary punishments for irregularities? Our democracy & our elected governments are 72 years old, and even though we have many new regulations to stop irregularities, it does not stop as there are no exemplary punishments, in fact, we have climbed the ladder for ease of doing business as the world knows that after taking huge loans for their business, one day business can be closed & the operators can flee with huge money in their banks.

Amitesh Kishore

5 years ago

Who will ask SEBI when they freewheel their wagon on AMC greese?

Ramesh Poapt

5 years ago

let the bubble burst fully. very much required. now.

Vaibhav Dhoka

5 years ago

Will SEBI ask concern AMC's to bear the loss or as usual investors will have to bear the brunt of fund houses wrongdoing.

ASHOK RAGHAVAN

Replied to Vaibhav Dhoka comment 5 years ago

Is this why we pay the fund managers their fees?