SECP imposes Rs962m in penalties on corporate sector violations in 1HFY24

February 10, 2024 (MLN): The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), aided by its in-house Adjudication Division, has imposed penalties worth Rs962 million during 1HFY24 for violating laws by the corporate sector, according to a press release issued yesterday.

Through this act, the main of the commission is to promote compliance and transparency in the corporate sector.

This quasi-judicial arm maintains independence and minimizes arbitrariness in decision-making while adhering to laws and international best practices.

From July to December 2023, the SECP primarily decided cases against companies alleged to violate Section 84 of the Companies Act, 2017, which prohibits companies from inviting, accepting, or renewing public deposits.

A total of 11 orders were issued under Section 84, resulting in a penalty of Rs581.50m.

Directors of such companies were also disqualified from holding office for five years using the Commission’s powers under Section 172 of the Companies Act, 2017.

Additionally, a penalty of Rs1.750m was also imposed via 11 orders against listed companies for violating Section 199 of the Companies Act, which only allows companies to invest in their associated companies or undertakings only through special resolution.

Another area of focus was digital lending. The adjudication division passed 7 orders, imposing a penalty of Rs13.265m under Section 282 of the Companies Ordinance, 1984, based on observations of various non-compliances with relevant laws.

Moreover, 21 orders were issued under SECP AML/CFT Regulations 2020 for alleged contraventions of mandatory AML/CFT regulations, including deficiencies in KYC/CDD processes, customer identity verification, risk categorization, unapproved AML policy documents, and Targeted Financial Sanctions obligations.

The total penalty imposed was Rs14.66m.

Five orders were issued for non-disclosure of substantial acquisition in voting shares of listed companies, and a penalty of Rs1.2m was imposed under the Securities Act, 2015 for contraventions.

Furthermore, a fine of Rs500,000 was levied for failing to disclose price-sensitive information in compliance with Section 96 of the Securities Act, 2015.

Moreover, 45 orders were issued for filing substantial shareholding and directorship changes in listed companies under the Reporting and Disclosure (of Shareholding by Directors, Executive Officers and Substantial Shareholders in Listed Companies) Regulations, 2015, and a penalty of Rs737,500 was imposed under the Securities Act, 2015.

Adjudication proceedings in respect of 8 cases were initiated against insurance companies/takaful operators.

Amongst the main violations of the insurance regulatory framework were failure to maintain proper books of accounts, inadequate amount of collateral in respect of insurance guarantees and non-payment of annual supervision fee in violation of Section 11(3) of the Insurance Ordinance, 2000.

The SECP remains committed to effective, transparent & rigorous enforcement of its administered laws in the future while simultaneously continuing on the path towards digitization and promoting an enabling environment for businesses.

Copyright Mettis Link News