Luật chứng khoán - văn bản tiếng Anh - Law on Securities of Vietnam.
THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
——- |
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET
NAM
Independence – Freedom – Happiness |
No: 70/2006/QH11
|
Hanoi, June 29, 2006
|
LAW
ON
SECURITIES
Pursuant to the 1992 Constitution of
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which was amended and supplemented under
Resolution No. 51/2001/QH10 of December 25, 2001, of the Xth National Assembly,
the 10th session;
This Law provides for securities and
securities market.
Chapter I
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
Article 1.- Scope of regulation
This Law provides for public
offering of securities, securities listing, trading and investment, and
provision of securities and securities market services.
Article 2.- Subjects of application
1. Vietnamese and foreign
organizations and individuals engaged in securities investment and operating in
Vietnam’s securities market.
2. Other organizations and
individuals involved in securities activities and securities market.
Article 3.- Application of the Securities Law, relevant laws and
treaties
1. Activities of public offering of
securities, securities listing, dealing, trading and investment, and provision
of securities and securities market services shall comply with this Law and
other relevant laws.
2. When a treaty to which the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party contains provisions
different from those of this Law, the provisions of that treaty prevail. The
Government shall specify the implementation of treaties in compatibility with
the international integration roadmap and commitments.
Article 4.- Principles of securities activities and securities
market operation
1. Respect for organizations’ and
individuals’ rights to freedom of securities purchase, sale and trading as well
as securities service provision.
2. Fairness, publicity and transparency.
3. Protection of legitimate rights
and benefits of investors.
4. Accountability for risks.
5. Compliance with law.
Article 5.- Securities market development policies
1. The State shall adopt policies to
encourage and create favorable conditions for organizations and individuals of
all economic sectors and people of all social strata to invest in and operate
on the securities market, aiming to mobilize long-term and medium-term capital
sources for development investment.
2. The State shall adopt policies to
manage and supervise the securities market in order to ensure its fair, public,
transparent, safe and efficient operation.
3. The State shall adopt policies to
invest in the modernization of infrastructure for the operation of the
securities market, the development of human resources for securities
activities, and the dissemination and popularization of securities and
securities market knowledge.
Article 6.- Interpretation of terms
In this Law, the terms below are
construed as follows:
1. Securities means
instruments evidencing their holders’ legitimate rights and benefits to the
assets or capital shares of issuing organizations. Securities take the form of
certificates, book entries or electronic data, and are divided into the
following types:
a/ Stocks, bonds, fund certificates;
b/ Rights, warrants, call option,
put option, futures, securities classes or indexes.
2. Stock means a
type of securities certifying their holders’ legitimate rights and benefits to
a portion of equity of an issuing organization.
3. Bond means a
type of securities certifying their holders’ legitimate rights and benefits to
a portion of liabilities of an issuing organization.
4. Fund certificate means
a type of securities certifying investors’ ownership over a portion of
contributed capital of a public fund.
5. Right means a
type of securities issued by a joint-stock company along with an additional
issuance of stocks to ensure that its existing shareholders can buy new stocks
under specified conditions.
6. Warrant means a
type of securities issued along with the issuance of bonds or preferred stocks,
entitling securities holders to buy a stated amount of common stocks at a
designated price within a given period.
7. Call option, put option mean
an option stated in a contract, entitling the buyer to opt for the purchase or
sale of a stated amount of securities at a designated price within a given
period.
8. Futures means
commitments to buy or sell certain securities types, classes or indexes, in a
specified amount, at a designated price and on a given date in the future.
9. Majority shareholder means
a shareholder directly or indirectly owning at least five percent or more of
voting stocks of an issuing organization.
10. Investor means
a Vietnamese or foreign organization or individual participating in investment
on the securities market.
11. Professional securities
investor means a commercial bank, financial company, financial leasing
company, insurance business organization or securities trading organization.
12. Public offering of
securities means the offering of securities for sale by any of the
following modes:
a/ On the mass media, including the
Internet;
b/ Offering of securities to one
hundred investors or more, excluding professional securities investors;
c/ Offering of securities to an
unspecified number of investors.
13. Issuing organization means
an organization which issues securities to the public.
14. Issuance-underwriting
organization means a securities company licensed to operate in the
domain of underwriting securities issuance or a commercial bank licensed by the
State Securities Commission to underwrite the issuance of bonds under the
conditions specified by the Finance Ministry.
15. Accredited audit
organization means an independent audit company on the list of audit
companies accredited by the State Securities Commission for audit under the
conditions specified by the Finance Ministry.
16. Prospectus means
a document or electronic data disclosing accurate, truthful and objective
information related to the offering or the listing of securities of an issuing
organization.
17. Listing of securities means
the putting of qualified securities in trading at the Stock Exchange or the
Securities Trading Center
18. Securities trading
market means a place or mode of information exchange where/whereby buy
and sell orders are rallied and securities transactions are conducted.
19. Securities business means
the performance of such professional operations as securities brokerage,
securities dealing, securities issuance underwriting, securities investment
consultancy, securities depository, securities investment fund management or
portfolio management.
20. Securities brokerage means
an operation of a securities company acting as an intermediary to buy or sell
securities for its customers.
21. Securities dealing means
buying or selling securities by a securities company for itself.
22. Securities issuance
underwriting means a commitment made by an issuance underwriting
organization with an issuing organization to carry out procedures before the
securities offering, undertaking to buy whole or part of the securities amount
of the issuing organization for resale or to buy the amount of undistributed
securities of the issuing organization or to assist the issuing organization in
distributing securities to the public.
23. Securities investment
consultancy means the supply of analysis results, the disclosure of
analysis reports and the provision of securities-related recommendations by
securities companies to investors.
24. Securities depository means
the receipt of securities for deposit, preservation or transfer to customers,
and the assistance rendered to customers for exercise of the rights relating to
the securities ownership.
25. Securities registration means
the acknowledgement of ownership right and other rights of a securities owner.
26. Securities portfolio
management means the management by a securities fund management
company of the securities purchase, sale or holding of each investor under the
latter’s entrustment.
27. Securities investment
fund means a fund formed from investors’ contributed capital for the
purpose of earning profits from the securities investment or other types of
investment asset, including real estate, though such investors do not have the
right to daily control of the fund’s investment decisions.
28. Public fund means
a securities investment fund which conducts public offering of fund
certificates.
29. Member fund means
a securities investment fund which consists of at most thirty
capital-contributing members being legal persons.
30. Open-end fund means
a public fund whose certificates, which have undergone a public offering,
should be bought back at the request of investors.
31. Closed fund means
a public fund whose certificates, which have undergone a public offering,
should not be bought back at the request of investors.
32. Inside information means
undisclosed information on a public company or a public fund, which may, once
disclosed, greatly affect the price of securities of such public company or
public fund.
33. Insiders include:
a/ Members of the Board of
Directors, the Control Board, the Director or the General Director, the Deputy
Directors or the Deputy General Directors of the public company; members of the
Representative Committee of the public fund;
b/ Majority shareholders of the
public company or the public fund;
c/ Persons who audit financial
statements of the public company or the public fund;
d/ Other persons who have access to
inside information of the public company or the public fund;
e/ Securities companies, securities
investment fund management companies and their securities practitioners;
f/ Organizations or individuals that
have business cooperation or service provision relations with the public
company or the public fund and individuals working in such organizations;
g/ Organizations or individuals that
directly or indirectly get inside information from the subjects defined at
Points a, b, c, d, e and f of this Clause.
34. Affiliated persons means
individuals or organizations that are interrelated in the following cases:
a/ Fathers, adoptive fathers,
mothers, adoptive mothers, spouses, children, adopted children or blood
siblings of individuals;
b/ Organizations of which
individuals are staff members, directors or general directors, or owners of
over ten percent of outstanding voting stocks;
c/ Members of boards of directors or
control boards, directors or general directors, deputy directors or deputy
general directors, and other management titles of such organizations;
d/ Persons who, in relations with
others, directly or indirectly control or are controlled by the latter, or
submit, together with the latter, to the same control;
e/ Parent companies and affiliate
companies;
f/ Contractual relations in which one
party represents the other party.
Article 7.- State management of securities and securities market
1. The Government shall perform the
unified state management of securities and securities market.
2. The Finance Ministry is
answerable to the Government for the performance of state management of
securities and securities market and has the following tasks and powers:
a/ To submit to the Government and
the Prime Minister for promulgation strategies, planning and policies on
development of securities market;
b/ To submit to competent
authorities for promulgation or promulgate according to its competence legal
documents on securities and securities market;
c/ To direct the State Securities
Commission in materializing strategies, planning and policies on development of
securities market as well as policies and regimes for management and
supervision of securities and securities market activities.
3. Ministries and ministerial-level
agencies shall, within the ambit of their tasks and powers, coordinate with the
Finance Ministry in performing the state management of securities and
securities market.
4. People’s Committees of all levels
shall, within the ambit of their tasks and powers, perform the state management
of securities and securities market in their respective localities.
Article 8.- The State Securities Commission
1. The State Securities Commission
is attached to the Finance Ministry and has the following tasks and powers:
a/ To grant, extend, withdraw
licenses and certificates related to securities activities and securities
market; to approve changes related to securities activities and securities
market;
b/ To manage and supervise
operations of stock exchanges, securities trading centers, securities depository
centers and assistant organizations; to suspend trading or depositing
activities of stock exchanges, securities trading centers, securities
depository centers in cases where they show signs of affecting the legitimate
rights and benefits of investors;
c/ To inspect, supervise and handle
administrative violations and settle complaints and denunciations in securities
activities and securities market;
d/ To make statistics and forecasts
on securities activities and securities market; to modernize information
technology in the domain of securities and securities market;
e/ To organize and coordinate with
concerned agencies and organizations in training and retraining the contingent
of securities officials, civil servants and staffs; to popularize securities
and securities market knowledge to the public;
f/ To guide professional procedures
for securities and securities market and relevant set forms;
g/ To conduct international
cooperation on securities and securities market.
2. The organization, managerial and
executive apparatus of the State Securities Commission shall be defined by the
Government.
Article 9.- Prohibited acts
1. Directly or indirectly tricking,
swindling, fabricating untruthful information or omitting necessary
information, thus causing serious misunderstanding which badly affects the
public offering of securities, securities listing, trading or investment,
securities and securities market service provision.
2. Disclosing misleading information
in order to entice and instigate others to buy or sell securities, or
disclosing untimely and insufficient information on occurrences which greatly
affect securities prices on the market.
3. Using inside information to buy
or sell securities for oneself or for others; disclosing or supplying inside
information or advising others to buy or sell securities based on inside
information.
4. Conniving in buying or selling
securities in order to create sham supply and demand; trading in securities by
mode of colluding with or enticing others to continuously buy and sell
securities back and forth to manipulate securities prices; combining or
employing other trading modes to manipulate securities prices.
Chapter II
PUBLIC
OFFERING OF SECURITIES
Article 10.- Securities par values
1. Securities offered for sale to
the public in the territory of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are
denominated in Vietnam dong (VND).
2. The par value of stocks and fund
certificates offered for the first-time sale to the public is VND 10,000. The
par values of bonds offered for sale to the public are VND 100,000 and
multiples of VND 100,000.
Article 11.- Forms of public offering of securities
1. Forms of public offering of
securities include the first-time public offering of securities, additional
offering of shares or rights to buy shares to the public, and other forms.
2. The Government shall specify the
forms of public offering of securities.
Article 12.- Conditions for public offering of securities
1. Conditions for public offering of
stocks include:
a/ The offering enterprise has a
charter capital contributed at the time of offering registration of VND 10
billion or more accounted according to the book value;
b/ Its business operation in the
year preceding the year of offering registration is profitable and, at the same
time, it has no accrued loss up to the year of offering registration;
c/ Its issuance plan and plan on the
use of capital generated from the sale offering are adopted by the
Shareholders’ General Assembly.
2. Conditions for public offering of
bonds include:
a/ The offering enterprise has a
charter capital contributed at the time of offering registration of VND 10
billion or more accounted according to the book value;
b/ Its business operation in the
year preceding the year of offering registration is profitable, and at the same
time it has no accrued loss up to the year of offering registration and has no
payable debt which has been overdue for more than one year;
c/ Its issuance plan and plan on use
and repayment of capital generated from the sale offering are adopted by the
Board of Directors, the Council of Members or its owner;
d/ It undertakes to perform the
obligation of an issuing organization towards investors in terms of issuance
and payment conditions, assurance of legitimate rights and benefits of
investors and other conditions.
3. Conditions for public offering of
fund certificates to the public include:
a/ The total value of fund
certificates registered for offering is at least VND 50 billion;
b/ There are an issuance plan and a
plan on investment of capital amount generated from the offering of fund
certificate in accordance with this Law.
4. The Government shall provide the
conditions for public offering of securities which must be satisfied by state
enterprises, foreign-invested enterprises transformed into joint-stock
companies, newly established enterprises in the fields of infrastructure
construction or high technologies; for the offering for sale of securities
overseas and other specific cases.
Article 13.- Registration of public offering of securities
1. Issuing organizations making the
public offering of securities must register it with the State Securities
Commission.
2. In the following cases, public
offering of securities is not subject to registration:
a/ Offering of bonds of the
Vietnamese Government;
b/ Offering of bonds of
international financial institutions approved by the Vietnamese Government;
c/ Public offering of stocks of
state enterprises transformed into joint-stock companies;
d/ Sale of securities under court
judgments or rulings, or sale of securities of property managers or recipients
in case of bankruptcy or insolvency.
Article 14.- Dossiers of registration of public offering of securities
1. A dossier of registration of
public offering of stocks comprises:
a/ A written registration of public
offering of stocks;
b/ A prospectus;
c/ The issuing organization’s
charter;
d/ The decision of the shareholders’
general assembly adopting the issuance plan and the plan on use of capital
generated from the public offering of stocks;
e/ An issuance underwriting
commitment (if any).
2. A dossier of registration of
public offering of bonds comprises:
a/ A written registration of public
offering of bonds;
b/ A prospectus;
c/ The issuing organization’s charter;
d/ The decision of the Board of
Directors, the Council of Members or the company’s owner, adopting the issuance
plan and the plan on use and repayment of capital generated from the public
offering of bonds;
e/ A commitment to perform the
obligation of an issuing organization towards investors in terms of issuance
and payment conditions, assurance of legitimate rights and benefits of
investors and other conditions;
f/ An issuance underwriting
commitment (if any).
3. A dossier of registration of
public offering of fund certificates comprises:
a/ A written registration of public
offering of fund certificates;
b/ A prospectus;
c/ The securities investment fund’s
draft charter;
d/ A supervision contract between
the supervisory bank and the securities investment fund management company;
e/ An issuance underwriting
commitment (if any).
4. Dossiers of registration of
public offering of stocks or bonds must be accompanied with decisions of Boards
of Directors or Councils of Members or owners of companies approving those
dossiers. For the public offering of securities of credit institutions, those
dossiers must be approved in writing by the State Bank of Vietnam.
5. When dossiers of registration of
public offering of securities are wholly or partially certified by concerned
organizations or individuals, the issuing organizations shall send written
certifications of such organizations or individuals to the State Securities
Commission.
6. Information in dossiers must be
accurate and truthful, cause no misleading and have adequate important contents
which exert an impact on investors’ decisions.
7. The Finance Ministry shall
specify the dossiers of registration of public offering of securities
applicable to state enterprises, foreign-invested enterprises transformed into
joint-stock companies, newly established enterprises in the domain of infrastructure
or high technologies; of overseas offering of securities and other specific
cases.
Article 15.- Prospectus
1. For public offering of stocks or
bonds, a prospectus has the following contents:
a/ Brief information on the issuing
organization, including its organizational apparatus, business operation,
assets, financial status, Board of Directors or Council of Members or owner,
director or general director, deputy director or deputy general director and
structure of shareholders (if any);
b/ Information on the offering and
securities to be offered, including offering conditions, risks, tentative plan
on profits and dividends of the year following the issuance of securities, the
issuance plan and the plan on the use of proceeds from the offering;
c/ The issuing organization’s
financial statements for the last two years as specified in Article 16 of this
Law;
d/ Other information specified in
the model prospectus.
2. For public offering of fund
certificates, a prospectus has the following contents:
a/ Type and size of the securities
investment fund;
b/ Investment objectives, strategy,
methods and process, investment limitations and risks of the securities
investment fund;
c/ Summarized principal contents of
the securities investment fund’s draft charter;
d/ Plans on issuance of fund
certificates and information guiding investors to invest in the securities
investment fund;
e/ Summarized information on the
securities investment fund management company, the supervisory bank and
regulations on transactions with affiliated persons of the securities
investment fund management company and the supervisory bank;
f/ Other information specified in
the model prospectus.
3. Signatures in the prospectus:
a/ For the public offering of stocks
or bonds, a prospectus must contain signatures of the chairman of the Board of
Directors or the Council of Members or the company president, the director or
the general director, the financial director or the chief accountant of the
issuing organization and the representative at law of the issuance-underwriting
organization or the principal issuance underwriting organization (if any). For
signatures of persons authorized by the aforesaid persons, the power of
attorney is required.
b/ For the public offering of fund
certificates, a prospectus must contain signatures of the chairman of the Board
of Directors or the Council of Members or the company president, the director
or the general director of the securities investment fund management company
and the representative at law of the issuance-underwriting organization (if
any). For signatures of persons authorized by the aforesaid persons, the power
of attorney is required.
4. The Finance Ministry shall
promulgate the model prospectus.
Article 16.- Financial statements
1. A financial statement consists of
an accounting balance, a report on business or production results, a cash flow
report and an explanation.
2. An issuing organization being a
parent company shall submit a consolidated financial statement according to the
accounting law.
3. Annual financial statements must
be an audited by accredited audit organization.
4. If the dossier is submitted
before March 1 of a year, the annual financial statement of the preceding year
in the initial dossier may be an unaudited one, which, however, must be
accompanied with the audited financial statements of the two previous years.
5. If the accounting period of the
latest financial statement ends more than ninety days after the date of
submission of the valid dossier of securities public offering registration to
the State Securities Commission, the issuing organization shall make an
additional financial statement for the latest month or quarter.
Article 17.- Responsibilities of organizations and individuals related to
dossiers of registration of public offering of securities
1. Issuing organizations shall take
responsibility for the accuracy, truthfulness and completeness of their
dossiers of registration of public offering of securities.
2. Issuance consultancy
organizations, issuance-underwriting organizations, accredited audit
organizations, persons who sign audit reports and any organizations and
individuals that certify dossiers of registration of public offering of
securities shall take responsibility for matters related to such dossiers.
Article 18.- Modification or supplementation of dossiers of
registration of public offering of securities
1. During the examination of
dossiers of registration of public offering of securities, issuing
organizations are obliged to modify or supplement such dossiers if inaccurate
information is detected in, or important information is omitted from, such
dossiers, or if they find it necessary to explain matters which might be
misunderstood.
2. In the course of examining
dossiers of registration of public offering of securities, the State Securities
Commission may request issuing organizations to modify or supplement such
dossiers in order to ensure that the disclosed information is accurate,
truthful and complete and able to help protect legitimate rights and benefits
of investors.
3. After the State Securities
Commission grants certificates of public offering of securities, if arises any
important information related to dossiers of registration of public offering of
securities, the issuing organizations shall, within seven days, disclose such
information by the modes specified in Clause 3, Article 20 of this Law and
concurrently modify or supplement such dossiers.
4. Written modifications or
supplementations submitted to the State Securities Commission must be signed by
persons who have signed the dossiers of registration of public offering of
securities or by persons holding the same position.
5. The time limit for dossier
examination in the cases specified in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article is
counted from the date the State Securities Commission receives written
modifications or supplementations.
Article 19.- Information before the public offering of securities
During the examination of dossiers
of registration of public offering of securities by the State Securities
Commission, issuing organizations, issuance-underwriting organizations and
concerned organizations and individuals may only use information in the
prospectuses already submitted to the State Securities Commission in an honest
and accurate manner for market survey, clearly stating that information on date
of issuance and securities selling prices are non-official. The market survey
may not be conducted on the mass media.
Article 20.- Effect of registration of public offering of securities
1. Within thirty days after
receiving the valid dossiers, the State Securities Commission shall consider
and grant certificates of public offering of securities. In case of refusal,
the State Securities Commission shall reply in writing, clearly stating reasons
for the refusal.
2. Certificates of public offering
of securities granted by the State Securities Commission serve as written
certifications that the dossiers of registration of public offering of
securities fully satisfy the conditions and procedures required by law.
3. Within seven days after a
certificate of public offering of securities becomes effective, the issuing
organization shall publish an issuance announcement on an electronic or printed
newspaper for three consecutive issues.
4. Securities may only be publicly
offered after they are published according to the provisions of Clause 3 of
this Article.
Article 21.- Distribution of securities
1. The distribution of securities
shall only be made after the issuing organization assures that securities
buyers have accessed the prospectus in the dossier of registration of public
offering of securities posted up at places indicated in the issuance
announcement.
2. The issuing organization, the
issuance underwriting organization or the issuance agent shall distribute securities
in a fair and open manner and ensure a period of at least twenty days for
investors to register to buy securities. Such a period must be stated in the
issuance announcement.
If the amount of securities
registered to be bought exceeds that allowed to be issued, the issuing
organization or the issuance-underwriting organization shall fully distribute
the amount of securities allowed to be issued to investors in proportion to
their registered amounts of securities.
3. Securities purchase money shall
be transferred into bank accounts which are frozen until the offering is
completed and reported to the State Securities Commission.
4. The issuing organization shall
complete the distribution of securities within ninety days after the
certificate of public offering of securities becomes effective. If the issuing
organization cannot complete the distribution of securities within this time
limit, the State Securities Commission may consider and prolong the
distribution of securities but for no more than thirty days.
For the registration of securities
offering to be made in installments, the interval between two offering
installments must not exceed twelve months.
5. The issuing organization or the
issuance-underwriting organization shall send a report on the results of the
offering to the State Securities Commission within ten days after the
completion of the offering, accompanied with a written certification by the
bank where the frozen account is opened of the proceeds from the offering.
6. The issuing organization, the
issuance underwriting organization or the issuance agent shall deliver
securities or securities ownership certificates to buyers within thirty days
after the completion of the offering.
Article 22.- Suspension of public offering of securities
1. The State Securities Commission
may suspend the public offering of securities for no more than sixty days in
the following cases:
a/ Dossiers of registration of
public offering of securities are detected having contained untruthful
information or lacked important information, which might affect investment
decisions and cause damage to investors.
b/ The distribution of securities
fails to comply with the provisions of Article 21 of this Law.
2. Within seven days after the
public offering of securities is suspended, the issuing organization shall
announce the suspension of public offering of securities by the modes specified
in Clause 3, Article 20 of this Law and call the issued securities when
investors so request and, at the same time, refund the received money to
investors within fifteen days after the latter so request.
3. After the errors leading to the
suspension of the public offering of securities are addressed, the State
Securities Commission shall issue a written notice on suspension cancellation
and the offering of securities may be resumed.
4. Within seven days after the
notice on suspension cancellation is issued, the issuing organization shall
publish the suspension cancellation by the modes specified in Clause 3, Article
20 of this Law.
Article 23.- Cancellation of public offering of securities
1. After the suspension duration
specified in Clause 1, Article 22 of this Law, if errors leading to the
suspension of the public offering of securities remain unaddressed, the State
Securities Commission shall cancel the offering and ban the sale of such
securities.
2. Within seven days after the
public offering of securities is cancelled, the issuing organization shall
announce the cancellation of the public offering of securities by the modes
specified in Clause 3, Article 20 of this Law and call the issued securities
and concurrently refund the received money to investors within fifteen days
after the offering is cancelled. Past this time limit, the issuing organization
shall pay damages to investors according to agreements reached with investors.
Article 24.- Obligations of issuing organizations
1. Issuing organizations that have
completed the public offering of stocks become public companies and, therefore,
have to fulfill the obligations of a public company specified in Clause 2,
Article 27 of this Law. Dossiers for registration of public offering of
securities shall be regarded as public company dossiers and issuing
organizations are not required to submit public company dossiers defined in
Clause 1, Article 26 of this Law to the State Securities Commission.
2. Issuing organizations that have
completed the public offering of bonds shall perform the information disclosure
obligation specified in Article 102 of this Law.
Chapter III
PUBLIC
COMPANIES
Article 25.- Public companies
1. A public company is a joint-stock
company that:
a/ Has already conducted the public
offering of its stocks;
b/ Has its stocks listed at the
Stock Exchange or the Securities Trading Center; or,
c/ Has its stocks owned by at least
one hundred investors, excluding professional securities investors, and has a
contributed charter capital of VND 10 billion or more.
2. Joint-stock companies defined at
Point c, Clause 1 of this Article shall submit public company dossiers
specified in Clause 1, Article 26 of this Law to the State Securities
Commission within ninety days after they become public companies.
Article 26.- Public company dossiers
1. A public company dossier
comprises:
a/ The company’s charter;
b/ A copy of the company’s business
registration certificate;
c/ Brief information on the model of
business organization, management apparatus and shareholders’ structure;
d/ The latest year’s financial
statement.
2. Within seven days after receiving
valid dossiers, the State Securities Commission shall publicly announce the
names and business operations of and other information related to public
companies on the State Securities Commission’s media.
Article 27.- Rights and obligations of public companies
1. Public companies have the rights
as provided for by the Enterprise Law and other relevant laws.
2. Public companies have the
following obligations:
a/ To disclose information according
to the provisions of Article 101 of this Law;
b/ To adhere to the corporate
governance principles defined in Article 28 of this Law;
c/ To conduct the concentrated
securities registration and depository at the Securities Trading Center
according to the provisions of Articles 52 and 53 of this Law;
d/ Other obligations as provided for
by the Enterprise Law and other relevant laws.
Article 28.- Corporate governance principles
1. Public companies shall comply
with the provisions of the Enterprise Law regarding corporate governance.
2. The Finance Ministry shall
specify the corporate governance applicable to public companies which have
their stocks listed at stock exchanges or securities trading centers.
Article 29.- Reports on majority shareholders’ ownership
1. Organizations and individuals
that become majority shareholders of a public company shall report their stock
ownership to such public company, the State Securities Commission and stock
exchanges or securities trading centers where stocks of such public company are
listed within seven days after they become majority shareholders.
2. A report on a majority
shareholder’s ownership covers the following contents:
a/ The name, address and business
lines, for majority shareholders being organizations; the full name, age,
nationality, place of residence and occupation, for majority shareholders being
individuals;
b/ The number and percentage of
stocks owned by the organization or individual or jointly owned by such
organization or individual and other organizations or individuals to the total
number of outstanding stocks.
3. In case of a material change in
information stated in reports defined in Clause 2 of this Article or a change
in the number of stocks owned by a majority shareholder which exceeds one per
cent of the total number of outstanding stocks, that majority shareholder
shall, within seven days after such change occurs, submit an amended and
supplemented report to the public company, the State Securities Commission and
stock exchanges or securities trading centers where the stocks are listed.
4. The provisions of Clauses 1, 2
and 3 of this Article also apply to affiliated persons who own five percent or
more of an issuing organization’s voting stocks.
Article 30.- Redemption by public companies of their own stocks
1. When redeeming their own stocks,
public companies that have no stocks listed at stock exchanges or securities
trading centers shall comply with the provisions of Articles 90, 91 and 92 of
the Enterprise Law.
2. When redeeming their own stocks,
public companies that have stocks listed at stock exchanges or securities
trading centers shall disclose information on the redemption at least seven
days before conducting it. Disclosed information covers:
a/ Redemption purpose(s);
b/ Number of stocks to be redeemed;
c/ Capital source(s) for redemption;
d/ Redemption duration.
The redemption by public companies
of their own stocks and the resale of stocks they have purchased shall comply
with the Finance Ministry’s regulations.
Article 31.- Recovery of profits from unfair transactions
1. Public companies are entitled to
recover all profits earned by members of their Boards of Directors, directors
or general directors, deputy directors or deputy general directors, finance or
accounting managers and other managers in their management apparatus from the
arbitrage or reverse arbitrage of their securities within six months after the
date of purchase or sale.
2. Public companies or their
shareholders are entitled to initiate lawsuits at a court for recovery of
profits earned from unfair transactions defined in Clause 1 of this Article.
Article 32.- Public bid
1. Cases subject to public bid:
a/ Bids for voting stocks which lead
to the ownership of twenty five percent or more of outstanding stocks of a
public company;
b/ Bids the parties that are offered
with which are compelled to sell stocks they own.
2. Organizations or individuals that
make public bid of stocks of public companies shall send their public bid
registrations to the State Securities Commission. Within seven days after
receiving public bid registrations, the State Securities Commission shall reply
in writing. In case of disapproval, it shall clearly state the reasons
therefor.
3. The public bid is conducted only
after it is approved by the State Securities Commission and announced in
advance by bid-making organizations or individuals on the mass media.
4. A public bid registration
contains the following information:
a/ Name and address of the
bid-making organization or individual;
b/ Type of stock subject to bid;
c/ The number of stocks subject to
bid and currently held by such organization or individual;
d/ The projected number of stocks
subject to bid;
e/ Bid duration;
f/ Bid price;
g/ Bid conditions.
5. In the course of public bid,
bid-making organizations and individuals may not take the following acts:
a/ Directly or indirectly buying or
committing to buy stocks currently subject to bid outside a bid drive;
b/ Selling or committing to sell
stocks for which they are making bids;
c/ Unfairly treating owners of the
same type of stock subject to bid;
d/ Supplying private information to
a certain number of shareholders or supplying information to shareholders
neither on the same scale nor at the same time. This regulation is also
applicable to issuance-underwriting organizations whose stocks are subject to
bid.
6. The duration for conducting a
public bid must be between thirty days and sixty days after the announcement of
that public bid. The bid covers also the additional bid or adjusted bid as
compared with the initial registration. An additional bid or adjusted bid as
compared with the initial registration must be conducted with terms not less
preferential than those for previous bids.
7. Stock-owning organizations and
individuals that have made margins for stocks under a public bid are entitled
to withdraw stocks at any time within the bid time limit.
8. If the number of stocks subject
to bid is smaller than that of outstanding stocks of a company or the number of
stocks put on sale is larger than that of stocks subject to bid, stocks shall
be bought on the basis of the corresponding ratio.
9. After conducting the public bid,
a bid maker that holds eighty percent or more of outstanding stocks of a public
company shall buy within thirty days stocks of the same type held by other
shareholders at the announced bid price, if these shareholders so request.
10. Public companies whose stocks
are subject to a public bid shall announce their consents to or refusals of the
bid. In case of refusal, such companies shall reply in writing, clearly stating
the reasons therefor. Written replies of those companies must bear signatures
of at least two thirds of members of their Boards of Directors.
11. Within ten days after the end of
a public bid, bid-making organizations or individuals shall report in writing
to the State Securities Commission on the result of the public bid.
Chapter IV
SECURITIES
TRADING MARKET
Article 33.- Organization of securities trading market
1. A stock exchange shall organize a
securities trading market for securities of issuing organizations qualified for
listing at such stock exchange.
2. A securities trading center shall
organize a securities trading market for securities of issuing organizations
unqualified for listing at a stock exchange.
3. Organizations or individuals
other than stock exchanges and securities trading centers shall not be licensed
to organize a securities trading market.
Article 34.- Organization and operation of stock exchanges and
securities trading centers
1. Stock exchanges and securities
trading centers are legal persons established and operating after the model of
limited liability companies or joint-stock companies in accordance with this
Law.
2. The Prime Minister shall decide
on the establishment, dissolution, transformation of the organizational
structures and ownership forms of stock exchanges and securities trading
centers at the proposal of the Finance Minister.
3. Stock exchanges and securities
trading centers have the function of organizing and supervising the trading of
securities listed at such stock exchanges and securities trading centers.
4. The operation of stock exchanges
and securities trading centers shall comply with the provisions of this Law and
their own charters.
5. Stock exchanges and securities
trading centers shall submit to the management and supervision by the State
Securities Commission.
Article 35.- Managerial and executive apparatuses of stock
exchanges or securities trading centers
1. Stock exchanges and securities
trading centers have their own Boards of Directors, directors, deputy directors
and Control Boards.
2. Chairmen of Boards of Directors
and directors of stock exchanges or securities trading centers are approved by
the Finance Minister at the proposal of the Boards of Directors after obtaining
the opinions of the Chairman of the State Securities Commission.
3. Rights and duties of Boards of
Directors, directors, deputy directors and Control Boards are specified in the
charters of stock exchanges or securities trading centers.
Article 36.- Charters of stock exchanges or securities trading
centers
1. Charters of stock exchanges or
securities trading centers shall be approved by the Finance Ministry at the
proposal of their Boards of Directors after obtaining the opinions of the
Chairman of the State Securities Commission.
2. The Charter of a stock exchange
or a securities trading center covers the following principal contents:
a/ Its name and address;
b/ Its operation objectives;
c/ Its charter capital; methods of
increasing, reducing or transferring its charter capital;
d/ Names, addresses and tips of its
founding shareholders or capital contributing members or owners;
e/ Capital contributions or numbers
of shares of stock and values of capital contributions of its founding
shareholders or capital contributing members;
f/ Its representative at law;
g/ Its organizational and managerial
apparatus;
h/ Rights and obligations of its
capital contributing members or shareholders;
i/ Rights and duties of its Board of
Directors, director, deputy directors and Control Board;
j/ Mode of adoption of its
decisions;
k/ Mode of amendment and
supplementation of its charter;
l/ Applicable accounting and audit
regime;
m/ Setting up of funds and mechanism
for use thereof; principles for use of profits, handling of losses and other
financial regimes;
n/ Principles for settlement of
internal disputes.
Article 37.- Rights of stock exchanges and securities trading centers
1. To promulgate regulations on
securities listing, securities trading, information disclosure and trading
members after such regulations are approved by the State Securities Commission.
2. To organize and administer
securities trading activities at their places.
3. To suspend, stop or cancel
securities transactions according to their securities trading regulations in
case of necessity to protect investors.
4. To list or delist securities and
supervise the maintenance of conditions for listing of securities of listed
organizations at their places.
5. To approve or revoke the status
of trading members; to supervise securities trading activities of trading
members at their places.
6. To supervise the information
disclosure by listed organizations and trading members at their places.
7. To supply market information and
information related to listed securities.
8. To act as a conciliation
intermediary at the request of trading members upon the appearance of a dispute
related to securities trading activities.
9. To collect charges according to
the Finance Ministry’s regulations.
Article 38.- Obligations of stock exchanges and securities trading
centers
1. To ensure public, fair, orderly
and efficient securities trading in the market.
2. To observe the accounting, audit
and statistical regimes, and fulfill financial obligations in accordance with
law.
3. To disclose information according
to the provisions of Article 107 of this Law.
4. To supply information to and
coordinate with competent state agencies in investigating, preventing and
combating acts of violating the law on securities and securities market.
5. To coordinate with one another in
the propagation and dissemination of securities and securities market knowledge
to investors.
6. To pay damages to trading members
if they cause damage to those members, except in force majeure circumstances.
Article 39.- Trading members
1. Trading members at stock
exchanges or securities trading centers are securities companies approved by
such stock exchanges or securities trading centers to become their trading
members.
2. Conditions and procedures for
becoming trading members at stock exchanges or securities trading centers are
specified in the regulations on trading members of such stock exchanges or
securities trading centers.
3. A trading member has the
following rights:
a/ To use the trading system and
services provided by the stock exchange or the securities trading center;
b/ To receive information on
securities trading market from the stock exchange or securities trading center;
c/ To request the stock exchange or
the securities trading center to act as a conciliation intermediary for
disputes related to its securities trading activities;
d/ To propose and recommend matters
related to the operation of the stock exchange or the securities trading
center;
e/ Other rights provided for in the
regulation on trading members of the stock exchange or securities trading
center.
4. A trading member has the
following obligations:
a/ The obligations specified in
Article 71 of this Law;
b/ To submit to the supervision by
the stock exchange or the securities trading center;
c/ To pay membership fee, trading
charge and other service charges prescribed by the Finance Ministry;
d/ To disclose information according
to the provisions of Article 104 of this Law and the regulation on information
disclosure of the stock exchange or the securities trading center;
e/ To assist other trading members at
the request of the stock exchange or the securities trading center when
necessary;
f/ Other obligations specified in
the regulation on trading members of the stock exchange or the securities
trading center.
Article 40.- Securities listing
1. When listing their securities at
stock exchanges or securities trading centers, the issuing organizations shall
satisfy the conditions on capital, business activities and financial
capability, number of shareholders or securities owners.
2. Issuing organizations submitting
listing dossiers are responsible for the accuracy, truthfulness and
completeness of their dossiers. Listing consultancy organizations, accredited
audit organizations, persons who sign audit reports and any organizations or
individuals certifying listing dossiers are responsible therefor within the
relevant scope.
3. The Government shall specify the
conditions, dossiers and procedures for listing securities at stock exchanges
or securities trading centers and for listing securities at foreign stock exchanges.
Article 41.- Securities trading
1. Securities trading at stock
exchanges:
a/ Stock exchanges organize the
trading of listed securities by concentrated order matching and other trading
modes defined in their securities trading regulations.
b/ Securities listed at stock
exchanges may not be traded outside the stock exchanges, unless it is provided
for in the securities trading regulations of stock exchanges.
2. Securities trading at securities
trading centers:
a/ Securities trading centers
organize the trading of listed securities by mode of agreement and other
trading modes defined in their securities trading regulations.
b/ Securities listed at securities
trading centers may be traded at securities companies being trading members of
the securities trading centers according to the securities trading regulations
of such securities trading centers.
3. Stock exchanges and securities
trading centers shall obtain approval of the State Securities Commission when
they wish to organize the trading of securities of new types, replace existing
trading modes with new ones, or put to operation new trading systems.
Chapter V
SECURITIES
REGISTRATION, DEPOSITORY, CLEARING AND PAYMENT
Article 42.- Organization and operation of securities depository
centers
1. Securities depository centers are
legal persons established and operating after the model of limited liability
companies or joint-stock companies in accordance with this Law.
2. The Prime Minister shall decide
on the establishment, dissolution, transformation of organizational structure
or ownership form of securities depository centers at the proposal of the
Finance Minister.
3. Securities depository centers
have the function of organizing and supervising securities registration,
depository, clearing and payment activities.
4. Operation of securities
depository centers shall comply with the provisions of this Law and their
charters.
5. Securities depository centers
shall submit to the management and supervision by the State Securities
Commission.
Article 43.- Managerial and executive apparatus of securities
depository centers
1. A securities depository center
has its Board of Directors, director, deputy directors and Control Board.
2. The chairman of the Board of
Directors and the director of a securities depository center are approved by
the Finance Minister at the proposal of the Board of Directors after obtaining
the opinions of the Chairman of the State Securities Commission.
3. Rights and duties of the Boards
of Directors, directors, deputy directors and Control Boards are specified in
the charters of securities depository centers.
Article 44.- Charters of securities depository centers
1. Charters of securities depository
centers shall be approved by the Finance Ministry at the proposal of their
Boards of Directors after obtaining the opinions of the Chairman of the State
Securities Commission.
2. The Charter of a securities
depository center covers the following principal contents:
a/ Its name, address of its head
office, its branches;
b/ Its operation objectives;
c/ Its charter capital; methods of
increasing, reducing or transferring its charter capital;
d/ Names, addresses and tips of its
founding shareholders or capital contributing members or owners;
e/ Capital contributions or numbers
of shares and values of capital contributions of its founding shareholders or
capital contributing members;
f/ Its representative at law;
g/ Its organizational and managerial
apparatus;
h/ Rights and obligations of its
capital contributing members or shareholders;
i/ Rights and duties of its Board of
Directors, director, deputy directors and Control Board;
j/ Mode of adoption of its
decisions;
k/ Mode of amendment and
supplementation of its Charter;
l/ Applicable accounting and audit
regimes;
m/ Setting up of funds and mechanism
for use thereof; principles for use of profits, handling of losses and other
financial regimes;
n/ Principles for settlement of
internal disputes.
Article 45.- Rights of securities depository centers
1. To promulgate regulations on
securities registration, depository, clearing and payment after such
regulations are approved by the State Securities Commission.
2. To approve or revoke the status
of depository members; to supervise the observance of their regulations by
their depository members.
3. To provide securities
registration, depository, clearing and payment services and other services
related to the securities depository at the request of customers.
4. To collect charges under the
Finance Ministry’s regulations.
Article 46.- Obligations of securities depository centers
1. To ensure physical and technical
foundations in service of securities registration, depository, clearing and
payment activities.
2. To elaborate the process of
operation and risk management applicable to each operation.
3. To separately manage assets of
customers.
4. To pay damages to customers in
case of failure to fulfill their obligations, thus causing damage to legitimate
interests of such customers, except in force majeure circumstances.
5. To operate in the interest of
securities depositors or securities owners.
6. To take measures to protect their
databases and keep original vouchers on securities registration, depository,
clearing and payment according to the provisions of law on accounting and
statistics.
7. To set aside hedge funds to
offset customers’ losses caused by technical failures or staff mistakes in the
course of operation. Hedge funds shall be set aside from revenues from
professional operations according to the Finance Ministry’s regulations.
8. To supply information related to
customers’ securities ownership at the request of public companies and issuing
organizations.
9. To observe the accounting, audit
and statistical regimes and fulfill financial obligations as provided for by
law; and to report on securities depository activities according to the Finance
Ministry’s regulations.
10. To be responsible for depository
and payment activities at their head offices or branches registered for
depository activities.
Article 47.- Depository members
1. Depository members being
securities companies or commercial banks operating in Vietnam are granted
securities depository registration certificates by the State Securities
Commission and approved by securities depository centers to become their
respective depository members.
2. Depository members have the
following rights:
a/ To provide depository services
and pay securities transactions for their customers;
b/ To collect charges according to
the Finance Ministry’s regulations;
c/ Other rights provided for by law
and by the securities depository centers in their regulations.
3. Depository members have the
following obligations:
a/ To fulfill the obligations
specified in Article 46 of this Law;
b/ To contribute to payment
assistance funds according to the regulations of securities depository centers;
c/ Other obligations specified by
law and by the securities repository centers in their regulations.
Article 48.- Conditions for registration of securities depository
activities
1. For a commercial bank, the conditions
for registration of securities depository activities include:
a/ Having a license for
establishment and operation in Vietnam;
b/ Having overdue debts not
exceeding five percent of its total debit balance, and being in the black in
the last year;
c/ Having a place, facilities and
equipment in service of securities registration and depository and securities
transaction payment activities.
2. For a securities company, the
conditions for registration of securities depository activities include:
a/ Having a license for
establishment and performance of securities brokerage or dealing operation;
b/ Having a place, facilities and
equipment in service of securities registration and depository and securities
transaction payment activities.
Article 49.- Dossiers of registration of securities depository
activities
1. Written request for registration
of securities depository activities.
2. A copy of the establishment and
operation license.
3. Written explanation of physical
and technical foundations for performance of securities depository activities.
4. Audited financial statement of
the last year, except for newly established securities companies.
Article 50.- Time limit for grant of securities depository
registration certificates
1. The time limit for grant of securities
depository registration certificates is fifteen days after the State Securities
Commission receives valid dossiers. In case of refusal to grant certificates,
the State Securities Commission shall reply in writing, clearly stating the
reasons therefor.
2. Within twelve months after being
granted securities depository registration certificates, securities companies
or commercial banks shall carry out procedures for registration of depository
members at securities depository centers and commencement of operation.
Article 51.- Suspension or revocation of securities depository
registration certificates
1. A depository member shall be
suspended from securities depository operation for a maximum duration of ninety
days in the following cases:
a/ It frequently breaches the
depository members’ obligations specified by the securities depository center;
b/ It lets errors occur, causing
heavy losses to its customers.
2. A depository member has its
securities depository registration certificate revoked in the following cases:
a/ Upon the expiration of the
depository suspension duration, it still fails to remedy breaches specified in
Clause 1 of this Article;
b/ It fails to commence securities
depository operation within twelve months after it is granted a securities depository
registration certificate.
c/ It has its establishment and
operation license revoked;
d/ It is divided, split, merged,
consolidated, transformed, dissolved or bankrupt;
e/ It voluntarily terminates the
securities depository operation after obtaining consent of the State Securities
Commission.
3. When having their securities
depository registration certificates revoked, depository members shall carry
out procedures for finalizing their securities depository accounts according to
regulations of securities depository centers.
Article 52.- Securities registration
1. Securities of public companies
must be registered in a concentrated manner at securities depository centers.
2. Securities of other issuing
organizations, which authorize securities depository centers to act as their
transfer agents, must be registered at those securities depository centers.
3. Public companies and issuing
organizations defined in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article shall register types
of their securities and information on securities owners with securities
depository centers.
Article 53.- Securities depository
1. Securities of public companies
must be deposited in a concentrated manner at securities depository centers
before being traded.
2. Securities must be deposited at
securities depository centers by mode of general depository. Securities owners
are co-owners of securities in general depository according to proportions of
their deposited securities.
3. Securities depository centers may
take into separate depository registered securities and other assets at the
request of owners.
Article 54.- Transfer of securities ownership
1. The transfer of securities
ownership over securities already registered at securities depository centers
shall be made through those securities depository centers.
2. The effect of the transfer of
securities ownership at securities depository centers is provided as follows:
a/ If securities are already
deposited in a concentrated manner at a securities depository center, the
transfer of securities ownership becomes effective on the date of taking book
entries on securities depository accounts at such securities depository center;
b/ If securities are not yet
deposited in a concentrated manner at a securities depository center, the
transfer of securities ownership becomes effective on the date those securities
are recorded in registers managed by such securities depository center.
Article 55.- Clearing and payment of securities transactions
1. Clearing and payment of
securities transactions are made according to regulations of securities
depository centers.
2. Securities payment is made
through securities depository centers, while payment of securities transaction
money is made through payment banks and in compliance with the principle that
securities transfer is conducted simultaneously with monetary payment.
Article 56.- Safekeeping of assets of customers
1. Securities in physical or
non-physical forms, and other assets of customers managed by securities
depository centers or depository members are property of their owners and may
not be treated as property of those securities depository centers or depository
members.
2. Securities depository centers or
depository members shall not use securities deposited by customers at their
places for payment of their debts.
Article 57.- Confidentiality
1. Securities depository centers and
depository members shall protect confidentiality of information related to
customers’ securities ownership, and deny investigation, blockade, seizure,
appropriation and transfer of customers’ assets without the latter’s consents.
2. The provisions of Clause 1 of
this Article do not apply to:
a/ Auditors audit financial
statements of securities depository centers or financial statements of
depository members;
b/ Customers of securities
depository centers or depository members who wish to be informed of their own
securities ownership;
c/ Information that is supplied at
the request of competent state agencies.
Article 58.- Payment assistance funds
1. Payment assistance funds are
formed from contributions of depository members for making payments on
depository members’ behalf in case they are temporarily insolvent to pay
securities transactions.
2. Payment assistance funds are
managed by securities depository centers separately from the latter’s assets.
3. Levels of contribution to payment
assistance funds, payment assistance modes, modes of management and use of
payment assistance funds shall comply with regulations of securities depository
centers.
Chapter VI
SECURITIES
COMPANIES AND SECURITIES INVESTMENT FUND MANAGEMENT COMPANIES
Article 59.- Establishment and operation of securities companies
and securities investment fund management companies
1. Securities companies and
securities investment fund management companies (below referred to as fund
management companies) shall be organized in the form of limited liability
companies or joint-stock companies in accordance with the Enterprise Law.
2. The State Securities Commission
shall grant establishment and operation licenses to securities companies and
fund management companies. Such a license concurrently serves as a business
registration certificate.
Article 60.- Business operations of securities companies
1. Securities companies may conduct
one, several or all of the following business operations:
a/ Securities brokerage;
b/ Securities dealing;
c/ Securities issuance underwriting;
d/ Securities investment consultancy.
2. Securities companies may conduct
the securities issuance underwriting operation only when they conduct the
securities dealing operation.
3. Apart from the business
operations specified in Clause 1 of this Article, securities companies may
provide financial consultancy services and other financial services.
Article 61.- Business operations of fund management companies
1. Fund management companies may
conduct the following business operations:
a/ Management of securities
investment funds;
b/ Management of securities
portfolios.
2. The business operations specified
in Clause 1 of this Article shall all be stated in the establishment and
operation license of a fund management company.
3. Apart from the business
operations specified in Clause 1 of this Article, fund management companies may
mobilize and manage foreign investment funds intended to invest in Vietnam.
Article 62.- Conditions for grant of establishment and operation
licenses to securities companies and fund management companies
1. Conditions for grant of an
establishment and operation license to a securities company or a fund
management company include:
a/ Having a head office and
facilities and equipment to serve securities trading activities. Particularly
for securities issuance-underwriting and securities investment consultancy
operations, the condition on facilities and equipment is not compulsory;
b/ Having sufficient legal capital
as prescribed by the Government;
c/ Its director or general director
and staff members conducting securities business operations specified in Clause
1, Article 60 and Clause 1, Article 61 of this Law possess securities practice
certificates.
2. Founding shareholders or founding
members being individuals must have full civil act capacity and not be
currently serving imprisonment sentences or banned by court from doing
business. Those being legal persons must be lawfully operating and financially
capable of making capital contributions. Founding shareholders or founding
members shall use their own capital sources to contribute capital for
establishment of securities companies or fund management companies.
Article 63.- Dossier of application for establishment and operation
license of a securities company or a fund management company
1. An application for establishment and
operation license of the securities company or fund management company.
2. A written explanation of material
and technical foundation for performance of securities business operations.
3. A bank’s certification of the
legal capital deposited on a frozen account at that bank.
4. A tentative list of the director
or the general director and staff members conducting securities business
operations, enclosed with copies of their securities practice certificates.
5. A list of founding shareholders
or founding members, enclosed with copies of their identity cards or passports,
for individuals, or business registration certificates, for legal persons.
6. Copies of the last year’s
financial statements, which are audited by an independent audit organization,
of founding shareholders or founding members being legal persons that have
contributed ten percent or more of the license applicant’s contributed charter
capital.
7. The draft Charter of the company.
8. A tentative plan on business
operation for the first three years suitable to business operations requested
to be licensed, enclosed with professional processes, internal control process
and risk management process.
Article 64.- Charters of securities companies or fund management
companies
1. The Charter of a securities
company or a fund management company must have the following principal
contents:
a/ The contents specified in Article
22 of the Enterprise Law;
b/ The rights and obligations of
securities companies or fund management companies which are not contrary to the
provisions of this Law;
c/ The prohibitions and limitations
for the securities company or the fund management company and for its director
or general director and securities practitioners.
2. The Finance Ministry shall
promulgate a model charter of securities companies or fund management
companies.
Article 65.- Time limit for grant of establishment and operation
licenses
1. Within thirty days after
receiving valid dossiers, the State Securities Commission shall grant
establishment and operation licenses to securities companies or fund management
companies. If refusing to grant licenses, the State Securities Commission shall
reply license applicants in writing, clearly stating the reasons therefor.
2. When it is necessary to clarify
matters related to dossiers of application for establishment and operation
licenses of securities companies or fund management companies, the State
Securities Commission may request representatives of founding members or founding
shareholders or persons expected to be appointed or recruited to be directors
or general directors of license applicants to explain such matters verbally or
in writing.
Article 66.- Publication of establishment and operation licenses
1. Within seven days after being
granted establishment and operation licenses, securities companies or fund
management companies shall publish those licenses on the State Securities
Commission’s media and on an online newspaper or a printed newspaper for three
consecutive issues.
2. The publication of an
establishment and operation license mentioned in Clause 1 of this Article
covers the following principal details:
a/ The name of the securities
company or the fund management company;
b/ The addresses of the company’s
head office, branches and representative offices (if any);
c/ The serial number of the
establishment and operation license, date of issue, and business operations
licensed to be conducted;
d/ The charter capital;
e/ The representative at law.
Article 67.- Supplementation of establishment and operation
licenses
1. When adding its securities
business operations, a securities company granted an establishment and
operation license shall request the supplementation of its establishment and
operation license.
2. A dossier of request for
supplementation of establishment and operation license comprises:
a/ The written request for
supplementation of establishment and operation license;
b/ The documents specified in
Clauses 2, 3 and 8, Article 63 of this Law;
c/ The amended and supplemented
charter which has been adopted by the shareholders’ general assembly or the
members’ council or the company’s owner;
d/ The decision of the shareholders’
general assembly and the board of directors or the decision of the members’
council or the company’s owner on addition of securities business operations.
3. Within twenty days after
receiving valid dossiers, the State Securities Commission shall grant
supplemented establishment and operation licenses. If refusing to grant such a license,
the State Securities Commission shall reply the license applicant in writing,
clearly stating the reasons therefor.
4. Securities companies granted
supplemented establishment and operation licenses shall publish those licenses
within the time limit and by the mode specified in Clause 1, Article 66 of this
Law.
Article 68.- Changes subject to the State Securities Commission’s
approval
1. A securities company or a fund
management company shall obtain the State Securities Commission’s written
approval before making the following changes:
a/ Setting up or shutdown of its
branches, representative offices or transaction offices;
b/ Change of its name; or relocation
of its head office, branch, representative office or transaction office;
c/ Change in the ownership of shares
or capital contribution portions accounting for ten percent or more of its
contributed charter capital due to transactions, except when its stocks have
been listed at the stock exchange or the securities trading center;
d/ Suspension of operation, except
when the operation suspension is caused by force majeure circumstances.
2. Dossiers and procedures for
approval of changes shall comply with the Finance Ministry’s regulations.
3. The time limit for approving a
change is fifteen days after the State Securities Commission receives a valid
dossier. In case of disapproval, the State Securities Commission shall reply in
writing, clearly stating the reasons therefor.
Article 69.- Division, separation, merger, consolidation or
transformation of securities companies and fund management companies
1. Securities companies and fund
management companies that are divided, separated, merged, consolidated or
transformed must obtain approval of the State Securities Commission. The time
limit for approving the division, separation, merger, consolidation or
transformation is thirty days after the State Securities Commission receives a
valid dossier. In case of disapproval, the State Securities Commission shall
reply in writing, clearly stating the reasons therefor.
2. Dossiers and procedures for
approving division, separation, merger, consolidation or transformation shall
comply with the Finance Ministry’s regulations.
3. Securities companies and fund
management companies shall carry out the division, separation, merger,
consolidation or transformation in accordance with the Enterprise Law.
4. Companies newly formed from the
division, separation, merger, consolidation or transformation shall carry out
procedures of application for re-grant of establishment and operation licenses
according to the provisions of Article 63 of this Law.
Article 70.- Suspension and revocation of establishment and operation
licenses of securities companies or fund management companies
1. A securities company or a fund
management company is suspended from operation in the following cases:
a/ Its dossier of application for
grant or supplementation of establishment and operation license contains
untruthful information;
b/ Upon the expiration of the
warning time limit specified in Article 74 of this Law, it still fails to
redress the warned situation and has an accumulated loss equal to fifty percent
of its charter capital or it no longer satisfies the condition on capital for
securities business activities.
c/ It operates for improper purposes
or not in accordance with the contents in its establishment and operation
license;
d/ It fails to maintain the
conditions for grant of establishment and operation license specified in
Article 62 of this Law.
2. A securities company or a fund
management company has its establishment and operation license revoked in the
following cases:
a/ It fails to commence its
securities business operation within twelve months after being granted the
establishment and operation license;
b/ It fails to redress the situation
mentioned at Point b, Clause 1 of this Article within six months after its
operation is suspended
c/ It fails to remedy violations
specified at Points a, c and d, Clause 1 of this Article within sixty days
after its operation is suspended;
d/ It dissolves or goes bankrupt.
3. For the case of revocation of
establishment and operation license specified at Point b, Clause 2 of this
Article, the State Securities Commission may designate another securities
company to complete transactions and contracts of the company whose
establishment and operation license is revoked. In this case, the relation of
proxy is automatically established between the two companies.
4. When having its establishment and
operation license revoked, a securities company or a fund management company
shall promptly terminate all operations stated in such license and publish a
notice on an online newspaper or a printed newspaper for three consecutive
issues. The State Securities Commission shall announce the revocation of
establishment and operation licenses of securities companies or fund management
companies on its media.
Article 71.- Obligations of securities companies
1. To establish a system for
internal control, management of risks and supervision and prevention of
interest conflicts within the companies and arising from transactions with
related persons.
2. To manage separately securities
of each investor, and to separate money and securities of investors from their
own money and securities.
3. To sign written contracts with
customers for provision of services to the latter; to supply full and truthful
information to customers.
4. To prioritize the execution of
customers’ orders before their own orders.
5. To collect and scrutinize
information on customers’ financial status, investment purposes and
risk-offsetting capability; to ensure that investment recommendations and
consultations they provide to customers are suitable with such customers.
6. To comply with the Finance
Ministry’s regulations on maintenance of liquidity capital.
7. To purchase insurance for
professional liability for securities business operations at the companies, or
set aside investor protection funds to pay compensations to investors for
damage caused by technical failures and mistakes of their staffs.
8. To keep all vouchers and accounts
which reflect in detail and truthfully customers’ transactions and their
transactions.
9. To sell or allow customers to
sell securities without securities ownership, and lend securities to customers
for sale according to the Finance Ministry’s regulations.
10. To comply with the Finance
Ministry’s regulations on securities business operations.
11. To observe the accounting,
auditing and statistical regimes and perform financial obligations as provided
for by law.
12. To disclose information
according to the provisions of Article 104 of this Law and make reports according
to the Finance Ministry’s regulations.
Article 72.- Obligations of fund management companies
1. To fulfill the obligations
specified in Clauses 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12, Article 71 of this
Law.
2. To manage securities investment
funds and portfolios according to the provisions of this Law, charters of
securities investment funds, contracts signed with investment-entrusting
customers and contracts signed with supervisory banks.
3. To determine values of net assets
of securities investment funds according to the provisions of Article 88 of
this Law, charters of securities investment funds and contracts signed with
investment-entrusting customers.
Article 73.- Limitations on securities companies and fund
management companies
1. To refrain from making
assessments or assuring customers of incomes or profits to be earned from their
investments or assuring customers of no loss, except for investment in droplock
securities.
2. To refrain from disclosing information
on customers, except where such disclosure is consented to by the customers or
requested by competent state management agencies.
3. To refrain from taking acts which
mislead customers and investors as to securities prices.
4. To refrain from providing loans
to customers for buying securities, unless otherwise provided for by the
Finance Ministry.
5. Founding shareholders or founding
members of a securities company or a fund management company are not allowed to
transfer their shares of stock or capital contributions within three years
after the grant of establishment and operation licenses, except for transfer to
other founding shareholders or founding members of the same company.
Article 74.- Warning
Securities companies and fund
management companies are warned if their liquidity capital is reduced to under
one hundred and twenty percent of the level specified in Clause 6, Article 71
of this Law. Securities companies and fund management companies shall redress
the warned situation within thirty days after the warning is made.
Article 75.- Dissolution and bankruptcy of securities companies and
fund management companies
1. The dissolution of securities
companies and fund management companies shall comply with the provisions of the
Enterprise Law. If a securities company or a fund management company dissolves
itself before the expiration of its operation duration, the State Securities
Commission’s approval is required.
2. The bankruptcy of securities
companies or fund management companies must comply with the provisions of law
on bankruptcy regarding enterprises operating in the financial or banking
domain.
Article 76.- Grant of establishment and operation licenses of
foreign-invested securities companies and fund management companies in Vietnam
1. Foreign-invested securities
companies and fund management companies in Vietnam which are established in
form of joint-ventures, joint-stock companies or companies with 100% foreign
capital shall be granted establishment and operation licenses by the State Securities
Commission.
2. Conditions for grant of
establishment and operation licenses of foreign-invested securities companies
and fund management companies in Vietnam shall comply with the provisions of
Article 62 of this Law.
3. Dossiers and procedures for grant
of establishment and operation licenses of foreign-invested securities
companies and fund management companies in Vietnam shall be specified by the
Government.
Article 77.- Grant of establishment and operation licenses of
Vietnam-based branches of foreign securities companies or fund management
companies
1. Conditions for grant of
establishment and operation licenses of Vietnam-based branches of foreign
securities companies or fund management companies include:
a/ Being securities business
organizations lawfully operating in foreign countries;
b/ The conditions specified in
Clause 1, Article 62 of this Law.
2. Dossiers and procedures for grant
of establishment and operation licenses of Vietnam-based branches of foreign
securities companies or fund management companies shall be specified by the
Government.
Article 78.- Vietnam-based representative offices of securities
companies or fund management companies
1. Foreign securities companies and
fund management companies may set up their own Vietnam-based representative
offices after registering operation with the State Securities Commission.
2. A dossier for operation
registration of a Vietnam-based representative office of a foreign securities
company or fund management company comprises:
a/ A written registration of
operation of the representative office;
b/ A copy of the operation license
of the foreign securities company or fund management company;
c/ A copy of the Charter of the
foreign securities company or fund management company;
d/ The resume of the person expected
to be appointed as the chief representative in Vietnam and the list of staff
members working in the representative office (if any).
3. Within seven days after receiving
the valid dossiers, the State Securities Commission shall grant certificates of
registration of operation of Vietnam-based representative offices of foreign
securities companies or fund management companies. If refusing to grant
certificates, the State Securities Commission shall reply certificate applicants
in writing, clearly stating the reasons therefor.
4. The scope of operation of
representative offices covers one, several or all of the following activities:
a/ Functioning as liaison and market
survey offices;
b/ Proceeding with the formulation
of cooperation projects in the domain of securities and securities market in
Vietnam;
c/ Urging and supervising the
performance of contracts and agreements already signed between foreign
securities companies or fund management companies and Vietnamese economic organizations;
d/ Urging and supervising the
execution of projects funded by foreign securities companies or fund management
companies in Vietnam.
5. Representative offices may not
conduct securities business operations.
6. Representative offices shall
submit to the management and supervision by the State Securities Commission.
Article 79.- Securities business practice certificates
1. Securities business practice
certificates are granted to individuals who satisfy the following conditions:
a/ Having full civil act capacity;
neither serving imprisonment sentences nor being banned by court from business
practice;
b/ Possessing university degrees;
having professional qualifications in the field of securities and securities
market;
c/ Having passed the examinations organized
by the State Securities Commission; for foreigners who possess certificates of
professional qualifications in securities market or who have lawfully practiced
securities business in foreign countries, only tests of Vietnam’s securities
law are required.
2. A dossier of application for a
securities business practice certificate comprises:
a/ A written application for a
securities business practice certificate;
b/ The applicant’s resume certified
by the administration of the locality where he/she resides;
c/ Copies of professional diplomas
and certificates.
3. For foreigners defined at Point
c, Clause 1 of this Article, a dossier of application for a securities business
practice certificate comprises:
a/ A written application for a
securities business practice certificate;
b/ The applicant’s resume certified
by a competent authority of the country of his/her nationality, accompanied
with a copy of his/her passport;
c/ Copies of professional
certificates or documents evidencing his/her lawful securities practice in the
foreign country.
4. Within seven days after receiving
valid dossiers, the State Securities Commission shall grant securities business
practice certificates. If refusing to grant certificates, the State Securities
Commission shall reply the applicants in writing, clearly stating the reasons
therefor.
5. A securities business practice
certificate is valid only when the certificate holder works in a securities
company or a fund management company and is notified by that company to the
State Securities Commission.
6. Within two days after a
securities business practice certificate grantee no longer works for a
securities company or a fund management company, that company shall notify such
to the State Securities Commission.
Article 80.- Revocation of securities business practice certificates
1. Securities practitioners have
their practice certificates revoked in the following cases:
a/ They no longer satisfy the
conditions for grant of securities business practice certificates specified at
Point a, Clause 1, Article 79 of this Law;
b/ They violate the provisions of
Article 9, Clause 1 and Clause 3, Article 81 of this Law;
c/ They have failed to practice
securities business for three years in a row.
2. Securities practitioners who have
their securities business practice certificates revoked in the cases specified
at Point b, Clause 1 of this Article shall not be re-granted those
certificates.
Article 81.- Responsibilities of securities practitioners
1. A securities practitioner may
not:
a/ Concurrently work for another
organization having an ownership relation with the securities company or the
fund management company where he/she is working;
b/ Concurrently work for another
securities company or fund management company;
c/ Concurrently act as the director
or the general director of an organization conducting the public offering of
securities or a listing organization.
2. When working for securities
companies, securities practitioners are entitled to open securities trading
accounts for themselves at the very securities companies.
3. Securities practitioners may not
use money and securities on customers’ accounts without being entrusted by such
customers.
4. Securities practitioners shall
attend training courses on securities law, new trading systems and securities
types, which are organized by the State Securities Commission, stock exchanges
or securities trading centers.
Chapter VII
SECURITIES
INVESTMENT FUNDS, SECURITIES INVESTMENT COMPANIES AND SUPERVISORY BANKS
Section I. GENERAL
PROVISIONS ON SECURITIES INVESTMENT FUNDS
Article 82.- Types of securities investment funds
1. Securities investment funds
include public funds and member funds.
2. Public funds include open-end
funds and closed funds.
Article 83.- Establishment of securities investment funds
1. The establishment and public
offering of fund certificates of public funds shall be conducted by fund
management companies according to the provisions of Article 90 of this Law and
registered with the State Securities Commission.
2. The establishment of member funds
shall be conducted by fund management companies according to the provisions of
Article 95 of this Law and reported to the State Securities Commission.
Article 84.- Rights and obligations of investors participating in
securities investment funds
1. Investors have the following
rights:
a/ To enjoy benefits from investment
activities of securities investment funds in proportion to their capital
contributions;
b/ To enjoy benefits and assets
lawfully divided from the liquidated assets of securities investment funds;
c/ To request fund management
companies or supervisory banks to buy back open-end fund certificates;
d/ To initiate lawsuits against fund
management companies, supervisory banks or related organizations which infringe
upon their legitimate rights and interests;
e/ To exercise their rights through
the investors’ congress;
f/ To transfer fund certificates
according to charters of securities investment funds;
g/ Other rights specified in
charters of securities investment funds.
2. Investors have the following
obligations:
a/ To abide by decisions of the
investors’ congress;
b/ To pay in full money amounts for
purchase of fund certificates;
c/ Other obligations specified in
charters of securities investment funds.
Article 85.- Investors’ congress of securities investment funds
1. The investors’ congress of a
securities investment fund, which is attended by all investors, is the highest
decision-making body of that securities investment fund.
2. The investors’ congress of a
securities investment fund has the following rights and duties:
a/ To elect, dismiss or remove from
office the chairman and members of the Representative Committee of that
securities investment fund;
b/ To decide on remuneration and
operation expenditure of the Representative Committee of that securities
investment fund;
c/ To change rates of charges to be
paid to the fund management company and the supervisory bank;
d/ To examine and handle violations
by the fund management company, the supervisory bank and the fund’s
Representative Committee, which cause damage to the securities investment fund;
e/ To decide on amendments and/or
supplements to the Charter of the securities investment fund and the
supervision contract; to decide on the listing of closed fund certificates;
f/ To decide on basic changes in
investment policies, profit distribution plans and investment objectives of the
securities investment fund, and the dissolution of the securities investment
fund;
g/ To decide on change of the fund
management company or the supervisory bank;
h/ To request the fund management
company or the supervisory bank to present books or transaction documents at
the investors’ congress;
i/ To adopt annual reports on
financial status, assets and operation of the securities investment fund;
j/ To approve the selection of
accredited audit organizations to audit annual financial statements of the
securities investment fund;
k/ The rights and duties specified
in the Charter of the securities investment fund.
3. The investors’ congress of
securities investment funds is annually or extraordinarily held to consider and
decide on matters falling under the competence of the investors’ congress. The
holding and proceeding mode of the investors’ congress and adoption of its
decisions shall comply with the Finance Ministry’s regulations and the charters
of securities investment funds.
Article 86.- Charters of securities investment funds
1. The Charter of a securities
investment fund shall be drafted by the fund management company and adopted by
the investors’ congress.
2. The Charter of a securities investment
fund must have the following principal contents:
a/ The names of the securities
investment fund, the fund management company and the supervisory bank;
b/ The date of establishment of the
securities investment fund;
c/ The operation objectives, investment
domains and operation duration of the securities investment fund;
d/ The contributed capital and
provisions on increase of capital of the securities investment fund;
e/ Rights and obligations of the
fund management company and the supervisory bank; cases of change of the fund
management company or the supervisory bank; provisions on authorization for the
fund management company to sign supervision contracts with supervisory banks;
f/ Provisions on the securities
investment fund’s Representative Committee and investors’ congress;
g/ Investment limitations of the
securities investment fund;
h/ Provisions on registration of
ownership of fund certificates and archive of the fund’s register of investors;
i/ Provisions on selection of the
supervisory bank; selection and change of accredited audit organizations;
j/ Provisions on transfer,
distribution and buyback of open-end fund certificates; provisions on listing
of close fund certificates;
k/ Assorted expenses and incomes of
the securities investment fund; charge rates and bonus levels applicable to the
fund management company and the supervisory bank; cases and methods of dividing
incomes of the securities investment fund to investors;
l/ The method of determining the net
assets value of the securities investment fund and that of each fund
certificate;
m/ Provisions on settlement of
interest conflicts;
n/ Provisions on reporting regime;
o/ Provisions on dissolution of the
securities investment fund;
p/ The commitments of the
supervisory bank and the fund management company to fulfill their obligations
toward the securities investment fund and investors, and to abide by the
charter of the securities investment fund;
q/ The mode of amending and
supplementing the Charter of the securities investment fund.
3. The model charter of securities
investment funds shall be provided for by the Finance Ministry.
Article 87.- Dissolution of securities investment funds
1. A securities investment fund is dissolved
in the following cases:
a/ The operation duration stated in
its charter expires;
b/ The investors’ congress decides
to dissolve it before the expiration of the operation duration stated in its
Charter.
2. At least three months before the
planned date of dissolution, the fund’s Representative Committee shall convene
the investors’ congress to adopt the plan on dissolution of the securities
investment fund.
3. The fund management company and
the supervisory bank shall complete the liquidation and division of the fund’s
assets to the investors under the plan adopted by the investors’ congress.
4. The proceeds from the liquidation
of the securities investment fund’s assets and assets remaining after its
dissolution must be settled in the following order:
a/ To fulfill financial obligations
toward the State;
b/ To pay amounts payable to the
fund management company and the supervisory bank, other payables and expenses
for dissolution of the securities investment fund;
c/ To be divided to investors in
proportion to their capital contributions to the fund.
5. Within five days after the
completion of the dissolution of the securities investment fund, the fund
management company and the supervisory bank shall report to the State
Securities Commission on the result of the dissolution of the securities
investment fund.
Article 88.- Determination of net asset value of securities
investment funds
1. The determination of the net
asset value of a securities investment fund shall be conducted by the fund
management company and certified by the supervisory bank.
2. The determination of the net
asset value of a securities investment fund must adhere to the following
principles:
a/ For securities listed at the
Stock Exchange or the Securities Trading Center, their prices are determined to
be the closing prices or the average price of the trading day preceding the
date of valuation;
b/ For assets other than securities
specified at Point a of this Clause, the determination of their value must be
based on the procedures and method of asset valuation clearly stated in the
Charter of the securities investment fund. The procedures and method of
valuation must be explicit and rational for uniform application, certified by
the supervisory bank and approved by the fund’s Representative Committee or
investors’ congress. Parties taking part in the asset valuation must be
independent from the fund management company and the supervisory bank or the
depository bank;
c/ Monetary assets include dividends
and interests calculated according to their booked values at the time of
valuation.
3. The net asset value of the
securities investment fund must be periodically and publicly notified according
to Article 105 of this Law.
Article 89.- Reports on securities investment funds
1. The fund management company shall
periodically or extraordinarily report to the State Securities Commission on
the investment portfolio, investment activities and financial status of the
securities investment fund.
2. The Finance Ministry shall
specify the regime of reporting on securities investment funds.
Section 2. PUBLIC FUNDS AND MEMBER
FUNDS
Article 90.- Mobilization of capital for establishment of public
funds
1. The mobilization of capital of a
public fund shall be conducted by the fund management company within ninety
days after the certificate of public offering of fund certificates takes
effect. A public fund is established when at least one hundred investors,
excluding professional securities investors, buy fund certificates and the
total value of sold fund certificates reaches at least VND 50 billion.
2. Total capital amount contributed
by investors must be frozen at a separate account controlled by the supervisory
bank and must not be used until the capital mobilization completes. The fund management
company shall report to the State Securities Commission on capital mobilization
results certified by the supervisory bank within ten days after the completion
of the capital mobilization.
3. When the public fund’s capital
mobilization fails to satisfy the condition specified in Clause 1 of this
Article, the fund management company shall refund all contributed amounts to
investors within fifteen days after the completion of the capital mobilization.
The fund management company shall bear all expenses and fulfill financial
obligations arising from the capital mobilization.
Article 91.- The Representative Committee of the public fund
1. The Representative Committee of
the public fund represents the benefits of investors and is elected by the
investors’ congress. The rights and obligations of the Representative Committee
of the public fund shall be provided in the securities investment fund Charter.
2. Decisions of the Representative
Committee of the public fund are adopted by voting at its meetings, gathering
its members’ written opinions or by other modes prescribed in the securities
investment fund charter. Each member of the Representative Committee of the
public fund has one vote.
3. The Representative Committee of
the public fund consists of between three and eleven members, of which at least
two-thirds are independent members who are not affiliated persons of the fund
management company and the supervisory bank.
4. Term of office, criteria, number,
appointment, dismissal, removal from office and addition of members of the
fund’s Representative Committee, the chairman of the fund’s Representative
Committee, conditions and mode of meeting and adoption of decisions of the
fund’s Representative Committee shall be provided in the securities investment
fund Charter.
Article 92.- Limitations on public funds
1. The fund management company may
not use the capital and assets of the securities investment fund for the
following activities:
a/ Investing in fund certificates of
the very public fund or another investment fund;
b/ Investing in securities of an
issuing organization in excess of fifteen percent of the total value of
outstanding securities of such organization;
c/ Investing more than twenty
percent of the total asset value of the fund in outstanding securities of an
issuing organization;
d/ Investing more than ten percent
of the total asset value of a closed fund in real estate; investing capital of
an open-end fund in real estate;
e/ Investing more than thirty
percent of the total asset value of the public fund in companies of the same
group which have ownership interrelations;
f/ Providing loans or guarantees for
any loans.
2. The fund management company may
not borrow loans to finance activities of the public fund, except for
short-term loans to pay necessary expenditures of the public fund. The total
value of short-term loans of the public fund must not exceed five percent of
its net asset value at any time and the maximum loan term is thirty days.
3. Except for the case specified at
Point f, Clause 1 of this Article, the investment structure of the public fund
may vary but by not more than fifteen percent compared with the investment
restrictions specified in Clause 1 of this Article. Variants must result from
an increase or decrease in the market value of invested assets and lawful
payments of the public fund.
4. The fund management company is
obliged to report to the State Securities Commission and disclose information
on the above-said variants. Within three months after such a variant arises,
the fund management company shall readjust the investment portfolio to assure
the investment limits specified in Clause 1 of this Article.
Article 93.- Open-end funds
1. For the redemption from investors
and resale or additional issuance of an open-end fund’s certificates within its
maximum paid-in capital by the fund management company or the supervisory bank
on the fund’s behalf, a decision of the investors’ congress is not required.
2. The frequency and specific time
of redemption of open-end fund certificates shall be provided in detail in the
fund Charter.
3. The fund management company is
not required to redeem open-end fund certificates on the fund’s behalf upon the
occurrence of one of the following events:
a/ It is unable to redeem open-end
fund certificates as requested due to force majeure circumstance;
b/ It is unable to determine the net
asset value of the open-end fund on the date of fixing redemption prices of
open-end fund certificates due to the fact that the Stock Exchange or the
Securities Trading Center decides to stop securities transactions in the fund’s
portfolio;
c/ Other events specified by the
fund’s charter.
4. The fund management company shall
report to the State Securities Commission within twenty four hours after the
occurrence of any of the events specified in Clause 3 of this Article and
continue the redemption of open-end fund certificates after such event
terminates.
5. The Finance Ministry shall
specify the issuance and redemption of open-end fund certificates.
Article 94.- Closed funds
1. The increase of the capital of a
closed fund must be approved by the State Securities Commission and satisfy the
following conditions:
a/ The fund’s Charter provides for
the increase of its capital;
b/ The fund’s profit in the year
preceding the year of request for capital increase is in positive figures;
c/ The fund management company has
not been sanctioned for administrative violations in securities activities and
securities market within two years up to the time of request for capital
increase;
d/ The plan on additional issuance
of closed fund certificates is adopted by the investors’ congress.
2. Closed fund certificates are
issued to the fund’s existing investors only by means of distribution of the
right to buy transferrable closed fund certificates.
3. Dossiers and procedures for
requesting the increase of capital of closed funds shall be specified by the
Finance Ministry.
Article 95.- Establishment of member funds
1. A member fund is established by
capital-contributing members on the basis of a capital contribution contract
and the fund’s charter.
2. The establishment of a member
fund must satisfy the following conditions:
a/ The fund’s minimum contributed
capital is VND 50 billion;
b/ There are at most thirty
capital-contributing members being legal persons;
c/ The fund is managed by a fund
management company;
d/ The fund’s assets are deposited
at a depository bank independent from the fund management company.
Section 3. SECURITIES INVESTMENT
COMPANIES
Article 96.- Securities investment companies
1. Securities investment companies
shall be organized in the form of joint-stock companies in accordance with the
Enterprise Law to invest in securities.
2. The State Securities Commission
shall grant establishment and operation licenses of securities investment
companies. Such a license concurrently serves as a business registration
certificate.
Article 97.- Establishment and operation of securities investment
companies
1. Conditions for grant of
establishment and operation license of a securities investment company include:
a/ It has a minimum capital of VND
50 billion;
b/ Its director or general director
and management staffs possess securities practice certificates in case the
securities investment company manage its own investment capital.
2. Securities investment companies
shall comply with the following regulations:
a/ The investment limitations
specified in Article 92 of this Law;
b/ The provisions on asset valuation
and reporting regime in Articles 88 and 89 of this Law;
c/ The obligations of public companies
specified in Clause 2, Article 27 of this Law;
d/ Money and assets of a securities
investment company must be wholly deposited at a supervisory bank.
3. The Government shall specify the
establishment, organization and operation of securities investment companies.
Section 4. SUPERVISORY BANKS
Article 98.- Supervisory banks
1. Supervisory banks are commercial
banks having certificates of registration of securities depository activities
and the function of providing depository services and supervising the
management of public funds and securities investment companies.
2. A supervisory bank has the
following obligations:
a/ To perform the obligations
specified in Clause 3, Article 47 of this Law;
b/ To keep in depository assets of
public funds or securities investment companies; to manage assets of public
funds or securities investment companies independently from its own assets.
c/ To supervise and ensure that the
fund management companies manage the public funds, the directors or general
directors of securities investment companies manage the company assets in
compliance with this Law and the charters of securities investment funds or
securities investment companies;
d/ To conduct revenue and
expenditure, payment, and money and securities transfer activities related to
operation of public funds or securities investment companies upon lawful
requests of the fund management companies or directors or general directors of
securities investment companies;
e/ To certify reports made by the
fund management companies or securities investment companies on public funds or
securities investment companies;
f/ To supervise the observance of
the reporting and information disclosure regime by the fund management
companies or securities investment companies in accordance with this Law;
g/ To report to the State Securities
Commission on detected violations of law or charters of securities investment
funds or securities investment companies committed by the fund management
companies, securities investment companies or concerned organizations or
individuals;
h/ To coordinate with fund
management companies or securities investment companies in periodically
comparing accounting books, financial statements and trading activities of
public funds or securities investment companies;
i/ Other obligations specified in
charters of securities investment funds or securities investment companies.
Article 99.- Limitations on supervisory banks
1. Supervisory banks, members of
Boards of Directors, executive officers and staff members of supervisory banks
personally supervising the operation of public funds and preserving fund assets
of supervisory banks must not be affiliated persons of, or persons having the
ownership, borrowing or lending relations with, fund management companies or
securities investment companies or vice versa.
2. Supervisory banks, members of
Boards of Directors, executive officers and staff members of supervisory banks
personally supervising and preserving assets of public funds or securities
investment companies must not be trading partners in transactions of buying or
selling assets of public funds or securities investment companies.
Chapter VIII
DISCLOSURE
OF INFORMATION
Article 100.- Information disclosure subjects and modes
1. Issuing organizations, listing
organizations, public companies, securities companies, fund management
companies, securities investment companies, stock exchanges and securities
trading centers are obliged to disclose information in a sufficient, accurate
and timely manner in accordance with this Law.
2. When disclosing information, the
subjects specified in Clause 1 of this Article shall concurrently report to the
State Securities Commission on disclosed information contents.
3. The disclosure of information
shall be conducted by directors or general directors or their authorized
persons.
4. Information is disclosed on the
mass media, publications of organizations or companies and communication media
of the Stock Exchange or the Securities Trading Center.
5. The Finance Ministry shall
specify the information contents to be disclosed and the modes of information
disclosure by subjects specified in Clause 1 of this Article.
Article 101.- Disclosure of information of public companies
1. Within ten days after having
their annual financial statements audited, public companies shall disclose
periodical information on such annual financial statements according to the
provisions of Clauses 1 and 2, Article 16 of this Law.
2. A public company shall disclose
extraordinary information within twenty four hours after the occurrence of one
of the following events:
a/ Its bank account is frozen or is
permitted to resume after a freezing period;
b/ It temporarily ceases its
business operation;
c/ It has its business registration
certificate or its establishment and operation license or its operation license
revoked;
d/ Its shareholders’ general
assembly’s decisions as specified in Article 104 of the Enterprise Law are
adopted;
e/ Its Board of Directors makes
decisions on redemption of its own stocks or resale of bought stocks, on the
date of exercise of the right to buy stocks by owners of warranted bonds or the
date of conversion of convertible bonds into stocks, and decisions related to
the offering according to the provisions of Clause 2, Article 108 of the
Enterprise Law;
f/ There are decisions to initiate
lawsuits against members of its Board of Directors, director or general
director, deputy director or deputy general director, or chief accountant;
there are court judgments or rulings concerning its operation; there are
conclusions of tax offices on its violations of the tax law.
3. A public company shall disclose
extraordinary information within seventy two hours after the occurrence of one
of the following events:
a/ It decides to borrow a loan or
issue bonds valued at thirty percent or more of its actual capital;
b/ Its Board of Directors makes
decisions on its development strategy, medium-term development plans and annual
business plans; or decisions on alteration of applied accounting method;
c/ It is notified by the court of
the acceptance of its application for opening of business bankruptcy
procedures.
4. A public company shall disclose
information at the request of the State Securities Commission when one of the
following events occurs:
a/ There appears information related
to it, which severely affects the legitimate benefits of investors;
b/ There appears information related
to it, which greatly impacts securities prices and needs to be verified.
Article 102.- Disclosure of information of issuing organizations
which conduct public offering of bonds
1. Issuing organizations that
conduct public offering of bonds shall disclose periodical information
according to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 101 of this Law.
2. Issuing organizations that
conduct public offering of bonds shall disclose extraordinary information
within seventy two hours after the occurrence of any event specified at Points
a, b and c, Clause 2, and Clause 3 of Article 101 of this Law.
Article 103.- Disclosure of information of listing organizations
1. Apart from the obligation to
disclose information specified in Article 101 of this Law, a listing
organization shall also:
a/ Disclose information within
twenty four hours after an asset loss valued at 10% of its own capital or more;
b/ Disclose information on a
quarterly financial statement within five days after the completion of that
statement;
c/ Disclose information according to
regulations of the Stock Exchange or the Securities Trading Center.
2. When disclosing information, a
listing organization shall concurrently report to the Stock Exchange or the
Securities Trading Center on the disclosed information contents.
Article 104.- Disclosure of information of securities companies,
fund management companies
1. Within ten days after having its
annual financial statement audited, a securities company or a fund management
company shall disclose periodical information on that annual financial
statement.
2. Within twenty four hours after
the occurrence of any of the following events, a securities company or a fund
management company shall report it to the Stock Exchange or the Securities
Trading Center so that the latter can disclose information according to the
provisions of Clause 2, Article 107 of this Law:
a/ A decision on prosecution against
a member of the Board of Directors or the Members’ Council, the director or
general director, a deputy director or deputy general director, or the chief
accountant;
b/ The shareholders’ general
assembly or the Members’ Council adopts a contract on merger with another
company;
c/ The company suffers a loss equal
to 10% of its asset value or more;
d/ The company changes a member of
the Board of Directors or the Members’ Council, the director or general
director, a deputy director or deputy general director; the company appoints or
dismisses the executive officer of the securities investment fund;
e/ The company experiences important
changes in its business operation.
3. A securities company shall
disclose at its head office, branches and order-receiving agents information on
changes related to the addresses of its head office, branches and order-receiving
agents; contents relevant to modes of trading, placing orders and paying
deposits for trading, time for payment, trading fee, services provided and a
list of securities practitioners of the company.
4. When requested by the State
Securities Commission, a securities company or a fund management company shall
disclose information related to it, which severely affects legitimate benefits
of investors.
Article 105.- Disclosure information on public funds
1. A fund management company shall
disclose periodical information on a public fund’s annual asset report within
ten days after that asset report is audited.
2. A fund management company shall
disclose the following periodical information on a public fund:
a/ Weekly, monthly, quarterly and
annual changes in net assets of the public fund;
b/ Assets of the public fund in
every month, quarter and year;
c/ Monthly, quarterly and annual
situation and results of investment activities of the public fund.
3. Within twenty four hours after
the occurrence of any of the following events in a public fund, the fund
management company shall report it to the Stock Exchange or the Securities
Trading Center so that the latter can disclose information according to the
provisions of Clause 2, Article 107 of this Law:
a/ Adoption of a decision of the
investors’ congress;
b/ Issuance of a decision on
offering of the public fund’s certificates;
c/ Issuance of a decision on change
of investment capital of the public fund;
d/ Withdrawal of the certificate of
public offering of the public fund’s certificates;
e/ Termination or cancellation of a
public offering of the public fund’s certificates.
4. When requested by the State
Securities Commission, a fund management company shall disclose information on
a public fund upon the occurrence of any of the following events:
a/ A rumor that affects the offering
and price of the public fund’s certificates;
b/ An abnormal fluctuation of price
and trading volume of the public fund’s certificates.
Article 106.- Disclosure of information of securities investment
companies
1. Securities investment companies
that conduct public offering of stocks shall disclose information according to
the provisions of Article 101 and Clause 2, Article 105 of this Law.
2. Securities investment companies
whose stocks are listed at the Stock Exchange or the Securities Trading Center
shall disclose information according to the provisions of Article 103 of this
Law.
Article 107.- Disclosure of information of the Stock Exchange or the
Securities Trading Center
The Stock Exchange or the Securities
Trading Center shall disclose the following information:
1. Information on securities trading
at that Stock Exchange or Securities Trading Center;
2. Information on organizations
listed at that Stock Exchange or Securities Trading Center; information on
securities companies, fund management companies, securities investment funds,
securities investment companies;
3. Information on supervision of
activities of the securities market.
Chapter IX
INSPECTION,
AND HANDLING OF VIOLATIONS
Section 1. INSPECTION
Article 108.- Securities inspectorate
1. The securities inspectorate is a
specialized inspectorate in the domain of securities and securities market.
2. The securities inspectorate is
composed of the chief inspector, the deputy chief inspector and inspectors.
3. The securities inspectorate shall
submit to the professional direction of the Finance Ministry’s inspectorate in
accordance with the inspection law and this Law.
Article 109.- Subjects and scope of inspection
1. Subjects of inspection include:
a/ Organizations conducting public
offering of securities;
b/ Public companies;
c/ Organizations listing securities;
d/ Stock Exchanges and Securities
Trading Centers;
e/ Securities depository centers,
depository members;
f/ Securities companies, fund
management companies, securities investment companies, supervisory banks;
Vietnam-based branches and representative offices of foreign securities
companies or fund management companies;
g/ Securities practitioners;
h/ Organizations and individuals
participating in investment and conducting activities on the securities market;
i/ Other organizations and
individuals involved in securities activities and securities market.
2. Scope of inspection covers:
a/ Public offering of securities;
b/ Securities listing;
c/ Securities trading;
d/ Securities business and
investment, provision of securities and securities market services;
e/ Information disclosure;
f/ Other activities related to
securities and securities market.
Article 110.- Forms of inspection
1. Inspections under programs or
plans approved by the Chairman of the State Securities Commission.
2. Extraordinary inspections shall
be conducted upon detection of signs of violation of the law on securities and
securities market by organizations or individuals participating in investment
and conducting activities on the securities market; according to the
requirements of the settlement of complaints and denunciations, or under
assignment by the Chairman of the State Securities Commission.
Article 111.- Competence and grounds for issuance of inspection
decisions
1. A securities inspection is
conducted only under an inspection decision of a competent person defined in
Clause 2 of this Article.
2. The chief securities inspector
shall issue inspection decisions and set up inspection teams. When necessary,
the Chairman of the State Securities Commission shall issue inspection
decisions and set up inspection teams.
An inspection team is composed of a
head and members.
3. The issuance of an inspection
decision must be based on one of the following grounds:
a/ An inspection plan or program
approved by the Chairman of the State Securities Commission;
b/ Request of the Chairman of the
State Securities Commission;
c/ Detection of signs of a violation
of the law on securities and securities market.
Article 112.- Contents of inspection decisions
1. An inspection decision must
contain the following details:
a/ Legal grounds for inspection;
b/ Inspection subject, content,
scope and task;
c/ Inspection duration;
d/ Head and members of the
inspection team.
2. Within three days after an
inspection decision is signed, it must be sent to the subject of inspection,
except for extraordinary inspection.
3. An inspection decision must be
notified within fifteen days after it is issued. The notification of inspection
decisions must be in writing.
Article 113.- Inspection duration
1. An inspection shall not exceed
thirty days counting from the date of notification of the inspection decision
to the date of conclusion of the inspection at the inspected place.
2. When necessary, the inspection
decision issuer may extend the inspection duration, for only once. The extended
duration shall not exceed the duration specified in Clause 1 of this Article.
Article 114.- Rights and obligations of inspected subjects
1. Rights of inspected subjects:
a/ To explain matters relevant to
the inspection contents;
b/ To reserve their opinions in
written records of inspection;
c/ To refuse to supply information
or documents classified as state secrets according to provisions of law, and
information or documents irrelevant to inspection contents;
d/ To lodge complaints with the
inspection decision issuer about decisions and acts of the head or members of
the inspection team in the course of inspection when they have grounds to deem
those decisions or acts are illegal; to lodge complaints with the Chairman of
the State Securities Commission about inspection conclusions or inspection
handling decisions when they have grounds to believe that those conclusions or
decisions are illegal. Pending the settlement, the complainants shall still
abide by the inspection conclusions and handling decisions;
e/ To claim damages in accordance
with law;
f/ Inspected subjects being
individuals are entitled to denounce violations committed by the chief
inspector, heads and members of inspection teams.
2. Obligations of inspected subjects:
a/ To abide by inspection decisions;
b/ To supply promptly, adequately
and accurately information, documents or electronic data relevant to inspection
contents at the request of inspectors and to take responsibility for the
adequacy, accuracy and truthfulness of supplied information, documents or
electronic data.
c/ To satisfy requests, and abide by
inspection conclusions and handling decisions of inspectors and competent state
agencies;
d/ To sign written records of
inspection.
Article 115.- Tasks and powers of inspection decision issuers
1. An inspection decision issuer has
the following tasks and powers:
a/ To direct and supervise the
strict observance of inspection contents and duration stated in the inspection
decision by the inspection team;
b/ To request the inspected subject
to supply information, documents or electronic data, to report in writing or to
explain matters relevant to inspection contents; to request organizations or
individuals possessing information or documents relevant to inspection contents
to supply such information or documents;
c/ To solicit the assessment of
matters relevant to inspection contents;
d/ To request competent persons to
seal up or temporarily seize documents, vouchers, securities and electronic
data relevant to acts of violating the law on securities and securities market
when he/she finds it necessary to promptly prevent those acts or to verify
circumstances to serve as proofs supporting the inspection decision;
e/ To request competent persons to
freeze monetary accounts, securities accounts as well as mortgaged or pledged
assets related to the violations of the law on securities and securities market
when he/she finds it necessary to verify circumstances to serve as grounds for
violation handling decisions or to promptly prevent acts of dispersing money,
securities or mortgaged or pledged assets related to the violations of the law
on securities and securities market.
f/ To suspend or propose competent
persons to suspend certain activities when he/she deems that those activities
cause serious damage to the State’s interests, legitimate rights and interests
of organizations or individuals participating in the market;
g/ To issue a handling decision
according to his/her competence or propose a competent person to handle the
violation; to inspect and urge the execution of the inspection-handling
decision;
h/ To settle complaints and
denunciations related to responsibilities of the chief inspector, the head and
members of inspection team;
i/ To make a conclusion on
inspection contents;
j/ To transfer the dossier of the
law violation to an investigation agency within five days after he/she detects
signs of a crime.
2. While performing the tasks or
exercising the powers specified in Clause 1 of this Article, the inspection
decision issuer shall be held responsible before law for all his/her decisions.
Article 116.- Tasks and powers of heads and members of inspection
teams
1. Tasks and powers of an inspection
team’s head:
a/ To organize and direct members of
the inspection team to strictly comply with contents, subject and duration
stated in the inspection decision;
b/ To request the inspected subject
to supply information, documents or electronic data, to report in writing or
explain matters relevant to inspection contents;
c/ To issue a decision on sealing or
temporary seizure of documents, vouchers, securities or electronic data
relevant to violations of the law on securities and securities market when
he/she has grounds to believe that those documents, vouchers, securities or
electronic data may be dispersed, hidden or destroyed unless they are promptly
sealed up or temporarily seized. Within twenty four hours after issuing a decision,
the head of the inspection team shall report that decision to and obtain a
written approval from the securities chief inspector. If the securities chief
inspector disapproves the decision, the head of the inspection team shall
immediately cancel the decision on sealing or temporary seizure and return
sealed or temporarily seized documents, vouchers, securities or electronic
data;
d/ To report to the inspection
decision issuer on inspection results and take responsibility for the accuracy,
truthfulness and objectivity of his/her report;
e/ To make a written record of
inspection;
f/ While performing the tasks or
exercising the powers specified in Clause 1 of this Article, the head of the
inspection team shall be held responsible before law for all his/her decisions.
2. Tasks and powers of members of an
inspection team:
a/ To perform tasks assigned by the
head of the inspection team;
b/ To request the inspected subject
to supply information, documents, to report in writing or explain matters
relevant to inspection contents; to request agencies, organizations or
individuals possessing information or documents relevant to inspection contents
to supply those information or documents;
c/ To propose the handling of
matters relevant to inspection contents;
d/ To report on performance of their
assigned tasks to the head of the inspection team, and take responsibility
before law and the head of the inspection team for the accuracy, truthfulness
and objectiveness of their reports.
Article 117.- Inspection conclusions
1. Within fifteen days after
receiving a report on inspection results, an inspection decision issuer shall
make an inspection conclusion in writing. The inspection conclusion must have
the following contents:
a/ Assessment of the observance of
policies and law and the performance of tasks by the inspected subject;
b/ Conclusions on inspection
contents;
c/ Clear determination of the
nature, severity and causes of violations (if any), as well as responsibilities
of agencies, organizations or individuals committing the violations;
d/ Handling measures already applied
according to his/her competence; proposed handling measures.
2. In the course of inspection, the
inspection decision issuer may request the head and members of the inspection
team to report; or request the inspected subject to explain and further clarify
necessary matters in service of making of an inspection conclusion.
3. Inspection conclusions shall be
sent to the Chairman of the State Securities Commission and inspected subjects.
Inspection conclusions made by the Chairman of the State Securities Commission
shall be sent to the Finance Minister.
4. Within fifteen days after an
inspection conclusion is made by the Securities Chief Inspector, the Chairman
of the State Securities Commission shall examine that inspection conclusion;
handle organization or individual committing the violation of the law on
securities and securities market; apply measures according to his/her
competence or propose the Finance Ministry to apply remedies or measures to
improve mechanisms, policies or law.
Section 2. HANDLING OF VIOLATIONS
Article 118.- Principles for handling of violations
1. Organizations and individuals
that commit acts of violating the provisions of this Law and other laws
concerning securities activities and securities market shall, depending on the
nature and severity of their violations, be disciplined, administratively
sanctioned or examined for penal liability. If causing damage, they shall pay
compensation therefor in accordance with law.
2. Persons who abuse their positions
or powers to impede securities activities or operation of securities market;
commit harassment for bribes or cause troubles to organizations or individuals
participating in the securities market; fail to promptly respond to the request
of organizations or individuals according to regulations; or fail to perform
other official duties prescribed by law shall, depending on the nature and
severity of their violations, be disciplined or examined for penal liability.
3. The sanctioning of administrative
violations shall comply with this Law and the law on handling of administrative
violations.
Article 119.- Forms of sanctioning of administrative violations
1. Organizations and individuals
that commit violations of the provisions of this Law shall be subject to one of
the following principal sanctioning forms:
a/ Caution;
b/ Fine.
2. Depending on the nature and
severity of their violations, organizations and individuals may be subject to
one or several additional sanctioning forms, including suspension of operation;
revocation of licenses or certificates related to securities and securities
market or securities practice certificates; confiscation of all amounts
generated from the commission of violations and the volume of securities used
for commission of violations.
3. Apart from the sanctioning forms
specified in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article, violating organizations and
individuals shall also be subject to different remedies, including forcible
compliance with law; forcible cancellation or correction of misleading or
untruthful information; forcible recovery of issued securities and refund of
deposits or securities purchase amounts to investors.
Article 120.- Competence to sanction administrative violations
1. The Securities Chief Inspector
has the following rights:
a/ To serve cautions;
b/ To impose fines.
2. The Chairman of the State
Securities Commission has the following rights:
a/ To serve cautions;
b/ To impose fines;
c/ To apply the additional
sanctioning forms and remedies specified in Clauses 2 and 3, Article 119 of
this Law.
3. The Government shall specify the
sanctioning competence and level for each act of violation in securities and
securities market activities specified in Articles 121 thru 130 of this Law.
Article 121.- Handling of violations of provisions on public
offering of securities
1. Issuing organizations, directors
or general directors, chief accountants and other affiliated persons of issuing
organizations, issuance-underwriting organizations, issuance consultancy
organizations, accredited audit organizations, persons signing audit reports,
organizations and individuals certifying dossiers of registration of public
offering of securities, that commit forgery in preparing dossiers of
registration of public offering of securities, shall be cautioned, fined or
examined for penal liability according to the provisions of law. An issuing
organization committing such a violation shall have its certificate of public
offering of securities withdrawn, refund the mobilized amount plus the demand
deposit interest, and pay a fine equal to between one and five percent of the
total illegally mobilized amount.
2. Issuing organizations, directors
or general directors, chief accountants and other affiliated persons of issuing
organizations, issuance-underwriting organizations, and issuance consultancy
organizations, that intentionally disclose misleading information or hide the
truth, or use information outside prospectuses to survey the market or
distribute securities not in accordance with contents of offering registrations
regarding type of securities, issuance duration and minimum volume as
specified, or notify the securities issuance on mass media not with specified
contents and beyond the set time limit shall be cautioned or fined, or have the
public offering of securities suspended or cancelled, or be examined for penal
liability according to the provisions of law. Issuance-underwriting
organizations that underwrite securities of a total value exceeding the level
specified by law shall be cautioned, fined or suspended from issuance
underwriting operation.
3. An issuing organization that
conducts the public offering of securities without a certificate of public
offering of securities shall be suspended from public offering of securities,
have its illegal revenue confiscated and be imposed a fine equal to between one
and five times the illegal revenue.
Article 122.- Handling of violations of provisions on public
companies
1. Companies defined at Point c,
Clause 1, Article 25 of this Law that fail to submit dossiers of public
companies to the State Securities Commission within ninety days after they
become public companies shall be cautioned or fined and compelled to strictly
comply with the provisions of law on public companies.
2. Public companies that fail to
comply with the provisions on corporate governance shall be cautioned and
compelled to strictly comply with those provisions.
Article 123.- Handling of violations of provisions on securities
listing
1. Listing organizations, directors
or general directors, deputy directors or deputy general directors, chief
accountants and other affiliated persons of listing organizations, listing
consultancy organizations, accredited audit organizations, persons signing
audit reports, organizations and individuals certifying listing dossiers, that
commit forgery in preparing listing dossiers, thus causing serious
misunderstanding, shall be cautioned, fined, delisted or examined for penal
liability in accordance with law.
2. Listing organizations that fail
to fully comply with the provisions on duration, contents and means of
disclosure of information on listing shall be cautioned, fined and compelled to
strictly comply with the provisions of law on listing.
Article 124.- Handling of violations of provisions on organization
of securities trading markets
1. Organizations and individuals
that organize securities trading markets in contravention of this Law shall
have their operation stopped, their illegal incomes confiscated and be fined
between one and five times their illegal incomes or be examined for penal
liability according to the provisions of law. If they have no illegal incomes,
they shall only be fined.
2. Stock Exchanges, Securities
Trading Centers, members of Boards of Directors or Control Boards, directors,
deputy directors and staff members of Stock Exchanges or Securities Trading
Centers, that violate provisions on listing, members, trading, supervision and
disclosure of information, shall be cautioned, fined or examined for penal
liability in accordance with law.
Article 125.- Handling of violations of provisions on securities
trading activities and securities practice certificates
1. Securities companies, fund
management companies, securities investment companies, Vietnam-based branches
of foreign securities companies or foreign fund management companies, that
conduct securities trading activities without licenses or lend, lease or
transfer their licenses, conduct trading activities in domains not stated in
their licenses or with invalid licenses, erase or modify their licenses, or
effect changes related to securities and securities market without approval of
the State Securities Commission, shall be cautioned or fined, have their
illegal incomes confiscated, their operation stopped, or their establishment
and operation licenses or certificates of operation registration of
representative offices withdrawn.
2. Securities companies that fail to
strictly comply with the provisions of this Law on management of monetary
assets and securities of customers; fail to maintain the prescribed liquidity
level; invest or contribute capital in excess of the prescribed level; act
against order of investors; or fail to keep confidential information on
customers shall be cautioned or fined, have their operation stopped or their
establishment and operation licenses withdrawn.
3. Securities companies and their
securities practitioners that abuse their positions, powers or duties to lend
money or securities on accounts of their customers; pledge or use money or
securities on accounts of their customers without the latter’s entrustment
shall be cautioned or fined, have their illegal incomes confiscated, or be
examined for penal liability in accordance with law.
4. In the course of fund management,
if fund management companies and their securities practitioners fail to
separate the management of each fund or fail to comply with the charters of the
securities investment funds and to protect legitimate rights and interests of
investors, fail to perform the internal control according to regulations, use
capital and assets of the securities investment funds to invest or purchase
assets of other investment funds; violate provisions on capital contribution,
share holding, lending or borrowing applicable to fund management companies and
vice versa shall be cautioned, fined and compelled to strictly comply with
legal provisions on management of securities investment funds.
5. Securities practitioners who
concurrently work for, and contribute capital to, two or more securities
companies; securities practitioners of fund management companies who
concurrently act as directors or general directors or shareholders owning more
than five percent of voting stocks of an organization publicly offering
securities; and securities dealers who lend or lease their securities practice
certificates, or erase or modify securities practice certificates shall be
fined and have their securities practice certificates withdrawn.
Article 126.- Handling of violations of provisions on securities
trading
1. Persons who know well inside
information or possess inside information and purchase or sell securities,
disclose that information or propose others to purchase or sell securities
shall be fined, have illegal incomes confiscated, or be examined for penal
liability in accordance with law.
2. Organizations or individuals that
are banned by law from stock trading but rename themselves or borrow others’
names to directly or indirectly hold, purchase or sell stocks shall have the
volume of stocks used in violation and their illegal incomes confiscated and be
fined. Officials and civil servants who commit such a violation shall be
disciplined in accordance with law.
3. Organizations or individuals that
violate provisions on prohibited acts to manipulate securities prices, make
sham securities prices or conduct sham securities transactions shall be fined,
have their illegal incomes confiscated, or be examined for penal liability in
accordance with law.
4. Professional staffs of Stock
Exchanges, Securities Trading Centers and securities companies who
intentionally supply forged documents, forge, falsify or destroy transaction
documents to deceive or entice customers into selling or purchasing securities
shall be fined, have their securities practice certificates withdrawn, or be
examined for penal liability in accordance with law.
5. Organizations or individuals that
fabricate and spread untruthful information, thus seriously affecting the
securities market or manipulating the securities trading market, shall be fined
or examined for penal liability in accordance with law.
6. Organizations or individuals that
make public bids without sending bid registrations to the State Securities
Commission; fail to make public bids according to regulations or make
modifications or adjustments to bid registrations without reporting thereon
according to regulations; fail to apply conditions for public bids to all
shareholders of public companies; refuse to purchase stocks from any
shareholders under announced conditions; or fail to make public bids within the
set time limit shall be fined and compelled to strictly comply with the
provisions of law on public bids.
Article 127.- Handling of violations of provisions on securities
registration, depository, clearing and payment, and supervisory banks
1. Organizations conducting
securities registration, depository, clearing and payment and their staffs that
violate provisions on time limit for certification of data or securities
transfer; modify or forge vouchers in payment; violate the regime of securities
preservation, regime of securities registration, depository, clearing and
payment or regime of keeping secret of depository accounts of customers; or
fail to supply promptly and sufficiently the list of securities holders to
issuing organizations shall be cautioned, fined or examined for penal liability
in accordance with law.
2. Supervisory banks and their
staffs that preserve assets of securities investment funds in contravention of
those funds’ charters; fail to separate assets of securities investment funds
from other assets; or fail to separate assets of an investment fund from those
of another fund shall be fined, suspended from operation or have their
certificates of registration of securities depository activities withdrawn.
Article 128.- Handling of violations of provisions on information
disclosure
Issuing organizations, public
companies, listing organizations, securities companies, fund management
companies and securities investment companies that fail to disclose information
in a sufficient, prompt and timely manner and on proper media as specified;
disclose untruthful information or disclose secret data or documents; or fail
to disclose information according to the provisions of this Law shall be
cautioned, fined or compelled to strictly comply with the provisions of law on
information disclosure.
Article 129.- Handling of violations of provisions on reporting
Stock Exchanges, Securities Trading
Centers, securities depository centers, public companies, securities companies,
fund management companies, securities investment companies and supervisory
banks that insufficiently report on specified contents; fail to report within
the specified time limit or with specified forms; terminate their operation
without reporting to the State Securities Commission or obtain no approval of
reported operation termination from the State Securities Commission; or fail to
report or fail to promptly report on occurrence of unexpected events which
might seriously affect their financial capability and securities trading and
service activities shall be cautioned or fined and compelled to strictly comply
with the provisions of law on reporting regime.
Article 130.- Handling of acts of obstructing inspection
Issuing organizations, listing
organizations, securities companies, fund management companies, securities
investment companies, supervisory banks, stock exchanges, securities trading
centers, securities depository centers, depository members and other
organizations and individuals involved in securities activities and securities
market, that commit acts of delaying, shirking or acting against inspection;
fail to sufficiently and promptly supply information, documents or electronic
data at the request of inspection teams and inspectors, thus obstructing
inspection activities; or use violence against or intimidate members of
inspection teams who are on inspection duty shall be cautioned, fined or
examined for penal liability in accordance with law.
Chapter X
SETTLEMENT
OF DISPUTES, COMPLAINTS AND DENUNCIATIONS AND PAYMENT OF DAMAGES
Article 131.- Settlement of disputes
1. Disputes arising in securities
activities and securities market in Vietnam may be settled through negotiation
or conciliation, or resorted to arbitration or court for settlement in
accordance with law.
2. Competence and procedures for
settling disputes arising in securities activities and securities market at
arbitration or court shall comply with the provisions of law.
Article 132.- Payment of damages
1. Organizations or individuals that
suffer from damage or losses caused by acts of violating this Law and other
relevant laws are entitled to initiate independently or in coordination with
other damaged organizations or individuals lawsuits to claim damages from
damage-causing organizations or individuals.
2. The determination of the damage
or loss value and procedures for payment of damages shall comply with the
provisions of law.
Article 133.- Complaints, denunciations and lawsuits
1. Individuals are entitled to lodge
complaints or denunciations, or to initiate lawsuits; organizations are
entitled to lodge complaints or to initiate lawsuits according to the
provisions of law. The lodging of complaints and denunciations, the initiation
of lawsuits, the settlement of complaints and denunciations and the handling of
lawsuits in securities activities and securities market shall comply with this
Law and other relevant laws.
2. Within the time limit for lodging
complaints or denunciations or for initiating lawsuits, concerned organizations
or individuals shall still execute administrative decisions of the State
Securities Commission. As soon as decisions on settlement of complaints or
denunciations are issued by competent state agencies in charge of securities
and securities market or court rulings or judgments take legal effect, they
shall execute those decisions, rulings or judgments.
3. The State Securities Commission
shall accept written complaints and denunciations of organizations and
individuals, which fall under its settling competence. When receiving
complaints or denunciations falling beyond its settling competence, it shall promptly
forward them to competent agencies, organizations or individuals for settlement
and notify such in writing to complainants or denouncers.
4. The time limit for settlement of
denunciations is sixty days after written denunciations are accepted. For complicated
cases, that time limit may be extended but must not exceed ninety days after
written denunciations are accepted.
5. The time limit for settlement of
first-time complaints is thirty days and that for settlement of second-time
complaints is forty five days after written complaints are accepted. For
complicated cases, those time limits may be extended but must not exceed sixty
days after written complaints are accepted.
6. Within thirty days after the
expiration of the time limit for settlement of a first-time complaint specified
in Clause 5 of this Article or after the receipt of the State Securities
Commission Chairman’s decision on settlement of first-time complaint, a
complainant whose complaint is left unsettled or who disagrees with that decision
on settlement of first-time complaint is entitled to lodge his/her complaint
with the Finance Minister or initiate an administrative lawsuit at a court in
accordance with law.
7. Within thirty days after the
expiration of the time limit for settlement of a second-time complaint
specified in Clause 5 of this Article or after the receipt of the Finance
Minister’s decision on complaint settlement, a complainant whose complaint is
left unsettled or who disagrees with that decision on complaint settlement is entitled
to initiate an administrative lawsuit at a court in accordance with law.
Chapter XI
IMPLEMENTATION
PROVISIONS
Article 134.- Application of the Securities Law to organizations
engaged in securities activities and securities market before the effective
date of this Law
1. Organizations that have
registered for public issuance of securities, listed or registered for trading;
securities investment funds that have registered for setting up and operation
and satisfied the requirements specified by this Law are not required to carry
out procedures for re-registration.
2. Securities companies and fund
management companies that have been established and operating under securities
trading and service licenses and satisfied the requirements specified by this
Law are not required to carry out procedures to apply for re-grant of
establishment and operation licenses.
3. Representative offices of foreign
securities companies or fund management companies that have commenced their
operation under permits for setting up representative offices not granted by
the State Securities Commission before the effective date of this Law shall
carry out procedures for re-registration with the State Securities Commission.
4. Securities companies that are
performing the professional operation of managing portfolios shall carry out
procedures for renewal of their establishment and operation licenses within one
year after the effective date of this Law.
5. Securities trading centers that
have been established under the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 127/1998/QD-TTg
of July 11, 1998, shall carry out procedures for conversion into Stock
Exchanges or Securities Trading Centers as defined in this Law within eighteen
months after the effective date of this Law.
6. Securities depository centers
that have been established under the Prime Minister’s Decision No.
189/2005/QD-TTg of July 20, 2005, shall carry out procedures for conversion
into securities depository centers as defined in this Law within eighteen
months after the effective date of this Law.
Article 135.- Implementation effect
This Law takes effect on January 1,
2007.
Article 136.- Implementation guidance
The Government shall detail and
guide the implementation of this Law.
This Law was passed on June 29,
2006, by the XIth National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at its
9th session.
Ý KIẾN