SEBI/IMD/DOF-1/BOND/Cir-4/2009
October
16, 2009
To:
All
Mutual Funds, Asset Management Companies (AMCs),
All
Foreign Institutional Investors/ sub-accounts (through custodians),
All
Venture Capital Funds and Foreign Venture Capital Investors
All
Portfolio Mangers, and
All
Stock Exchanges
Dear
Sirs,
Sub:
Clearing and Settlement of trades in Corporate Bonds through
Clearing
Corporations
1.
SEBI
vide circulars numbers SEBI/ CFD/DIL/BOND/1/2006/12/12 dated
December
12, 2006, SEBI/CBM/ BOND/1/2007/02/03 dated March 01, 2007 and
letter
dated July 27, 2007 to FIMMDA authorized BSE, NSE and FIMMDA to set
up
and maintain reporting platforms to capture information related to
trading in
corporate
bonds. Subsequently, SEBI vide circular No.SEBI/CBM/BOND/2/
2007/13/
04 dated April 13, 2007 authorized BSE and NSE to set up and
maintain
trading platforms for Corporate Bonds.
2.
It
has now been decided that, all trades in corporate bonds between
specified
entities,
namely, mutual funds, foreign institutional investors/ sub-accounts,
venture
capital funds, foreign venture capital investors, portfolio mangers,
and
RBI
regulated entities as specified by RBI shall necessarily be cleared
and settled
through
the National Securities Clearing Corporation Limited (NSCCL) or the
Indian
Clearing Corporation Limited (ICCL).
3.
The
provisions of this circular shall be applicable to all corporate
bonds traded
Over
The Counter (OTC) or on the debt segment of Stock Exchanges on or
after
December
01, 2009. However, the provisions of this circular shall not be
applicable
to trades in corporate bonds that are traded on the Capital Market
segment/
Equity Segment of the Stock Exchanges and are required to be settled
through
clearing corporations/ clearing houses of Stock Exchanges.
4.
All
other terms of the past circulars, viz., No. SEBI/ CFD/DIL/BOND/1/2006/12
/12
dated
December 12, 2006 and No. SEBI/CBM/ BOND/1/2007/02/03 dated March
01,
2007 and SEBI/IMD/DOF-1/BOND/Cir-3/2009 dated July 31, 2009 remain
unchanged.
While clause IV(7) of SEBI Circular No.SEBI/CBM/BOND/2/2007
/13/04
dated April 13, 2007 which allows bilateral clearing and settlement
stands
modified
accordingly, with effect from December 01, 2009, all other terms of
the
said
circular remain unchanged.
5.
All
transactions cleared and settled in terms of this circular will be
subject to such
norms
as may be specified by NSCCL and ICCL.
6.
NSE
and BSE are directed to:
(a)
Make amendments to the listing agreement, bye- laws, rules and
regulations
for
the implementation of the above decision with effect from December
01,
2009,
as may be applicable and necessary.
(b)
Make necessary arrangements for smooth implementation of this
circular.
7.
All
specified entities are advised to make necessary preparations for
implementation
of the provisions of this circular.
8.
All
stock exchanges are advised to bring to the notice of all their
members and to
disseminate
the same on their respective websites for easy access to investors.
9.
This
circular is issued in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section
(1) of
section
11 and section 11A of the Securities and Exchange Board of India
Act,
1992,
to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote
the
development
of, and to regulate the securities market.
10.
This
circular is available on SEBI website at www.sebi.gov.in under the
categories
“Legal Framework” and “Corp Debt Market”.
Yours
faithfully,
Maninder Cheema