CHAPTER 7

 

 

OFF-EXCHANGE TRADE VALIDATION

AND REPORTING SYSTEM

 

 

General

 

                   General

 

7.00.00       Transactions in securities which have been admitted to trading on the Exchange may be effected off-exchange.

 

7.00.01       The following bye-laws in respect of off-exchange transactions in securities which have been admitted to trading on the Exchange do not apply to credit operation transactions; transactions in units or shares of Collective Investment Schemes which have not been admitted to trading on the Exchange or to other off-market transactions as specifically mentioned in the Bye-laws.

 

7.00.02       All transactions effected in terms of bye-law 7.00.01 above must be entered into the Exchange’s Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System as described hereunder in order for such trades to be confirmed and the appropriate registration effected in the Central Securities Depository.

 

7.00.03       The opening and closing times of the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System are established by the Exchange. The Exchange may, in its absolute discretion, vary such opening and closing times of the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System.

 

7.00.04       No off-exchange transactions may be entered into the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System prior to the opening signal or after the closing signal.

 

                   Access to Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System

 

7.01.00       Access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System is limited to :

 

(i)            Authorised Intermediaries as defined in the Off-Exchange Trading Regulations, 2004;

(ii)           indicated Exchange personnel; and

(iii)         any other person duly authorised by the Exchange.

 

                   Participation in Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System

 

7.02.00       Authorised Intermediaries shall be considered to be participants in the Off-Exchange Trade Validation Reporting System.

 

7.02.01       Authorised Intermediaries may opt for direct or indirect access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System as outlined in bye-laws 7.03.00 and 7.04.00 hereunder. Authorised Intermediaries who do not opt for direct participation shall automatically be considered as indirect participants.

 

7.02.02       Authorised Intermediaries opting for direct participation shall submit an application form to the General Manager as set out in Appendix I  to this Chapter. Indirect participants wishing to have access (indirect) to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System must submit a Registration Form as appropriate to the General Manager as set out in  Appendix II  to this Chapter. Such application/registration forms shall be accompanied by the applicable fees as laid down by the Exchange from time to time.

 

7.02.03       Any changes to be effected to the details given in the application/registration form at the time of application for direct participation in or indirect access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System must be submitted to the Exchange prior to such changes becoming effective.

 

7.02.04       All applicants for direct participation in the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System must undergo the requisite training  prior to access being granted.

 

7.02.05       Such training will be the sole responsibility of the Exchange and will vary according to the type of applicant and level of participation applied for.

 

Direct Participation

 

7.03.00       Authorised Intermediaries opting for direct participation shall be designated Direct Participants. Direct Participants shall have direct access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System either through reporting terminals set up in their office/s or alternatively through reporting terminals made available at the Exchange for such purpose. Direct Participants must nominate one or more person/s who shall be nominated to access the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System (Reporters) on their behalf.

 

Indirect Participation

 

7.04.00       Authorised Intermediaries who do not opt for direct participation shall be designated Indirect Participants. Prior to obtaining indirect access to the Of-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System, Indirect Participants shall first register with the Exchange in the manner detailed in bye-law 7.02.02 above. Registered Indirect Participants may access the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System  through one or more Direct Participants so designated on the appropriate registration form as set out in Appendix II  to this Chapter.

 

                   Voluntary Termination of Access

                  

7.05.00       Authorised Intermediaries wishing to terminate their access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System shall do so in writing to the Council. A Notice shall be posted forthwith on the Notice Board of the Exchange and shall remain so posted for a period of one (1) calendar month from the date of notification.

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.05.01       The Authorised Intermediary so wishing to terminate his access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System shall, within the period of notification as stipulated above advise the Exchange of any outstanding obligations, debts or commitments of the Authorised Intermediary intending to terminate his access and of any outstanding dealings and transactions in which such Authorised Intermediary may be concerned in connection with his activities on the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System.

 

7.05.02       The Authorised Intermediary  who has terminated his access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System shall retain all his obligations and liabilities arising under the Act, Statute and  Bye-laws.

 

Fees

 

7.06.00       Fees in respect of access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System and ancillary services shall be set by the Exchange and may be amended by the Council from time to time.

 

7.06.01       Failure by any participant of the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System to pay any fees in relation to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System and ancillary services shall be considered  a breach of the Bye-laws and the Exchange may take any action deemed appropriate in the circumstances.

 

                   Installation

 

7.07.00       Installation of software in respect of the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System onto the reporting terminals is the sole responsibility of the Exchange.

 

Every Direct Participant opting to have direct access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System directly from his office, shall provide officers and persons appointed or delegated by the Exchange with the necessary access, on site or through electronic means, to their premises, terminals and other facilities related to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System in order for them to be able to carry out the necessary installation of the appropriate software and updates thereof or other computer hardware and/or other equipment, as well as to effect inspections of such premises, software, hardware and/or other equipment as may be necessary or expedient. During such inspections the Exchange officers and/or persons appointed or delegated by the Exchange, shall have the power to retrieve, extract, copy or seize in whole or in part any software, hardware and/or other equipment or materials as the Exchange, in its absolute discretion may deem necessary or expedient for the purpose of carrying out any investigation or inquiry with a view to ensuring compliance with the Act, Statute and Bye-laws.

 

7.07.01       The number of Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System reporting terminals per Direct Participant opting to access this reporting facility directly from his office, may not exceed the number of nominated Reporters to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System on   behalf of such Direct Participant.

 

7.07.02       It is the responsibility of the Direct Participant opting to access this reporting facility  directly from his office to ensure that all hardware and other facilities connected with the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System are in compliance with the  specifications as laid down by the Exchange from time to time.

 

7.07.03       The Exchange shall make available a number of trading terminals at its premises for use by Direct Participants opting to access the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System in this manner. Such terminals shall be available on a first-come/first-served basis.

 

                   Power to deny/terminate access

 

7.08.00       The Exchange has the right to suspend for a definite period or indefinitely, as well as deny or terminate access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System of any Direct Participant and/or the nominated Reporters accessing the system on his behalf, should the Direct Participant and/or the nominated Reporters accessing the system on his behalf be in default or has failed to satisfy the provisions of the Act , Statute and the Bye-laws.

 

 

 

7.08.01       A Direct Participant shall not be entitled to claim against the Exchange, its officers or any person appointed or delegated by the Exchange, for any loss or damages whatsoever related to their functions under the above bye-laws.

 

                   Systems Failure

 

7.09.00       In the event of widespread technical failure of the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System or of any component of the system which impairs access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System and/or dissemination of prices or any other information, or in the event of the Exchange’s own computer hardware and/or other equipment malfunctioning, access to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System may be suspended until the problem is solved or the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System session may be cancelled, as deemed appropriate.

 

7.09.01       Whenever the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System is delayed for any of the reasons given above, the Exchange may, at its own discretion, extend the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System session on that day.

 

7.09.02       If the hardware or other equipment supporting the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System of a Direct Participant accessing this market directly from his office is malfunctioning, the Exchange must be approached immediately for assistance. The Exchange shall determine what technical assistance, if any, may be provided to such Direct Participant.

 

                   Responsibility of the Exchange

 

7.10.00       Dissemination of information of transactions entered into the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System and disseminated in real time on the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System Ticker will be deemed to be disclosure of off-exchange transactions to the public in terms of Article 8 of the Off-Exchange Trading Regulations, 2004.

 

7.10.01       The Exchange shall make such off-exchange transaction information available to the public through its website or any other means on the same day as such transactions have been effected in accordance with its own procedures.

 

7.10.02       The Exchange shall submit off-exchange transaction information to the Competent Authority in accordance with the directives applicable to Recognised Investment Exchanges through any means or form as agreed to with the Competent Authority.

 

 

Procedures

 

 

                   Validity of off-exchange transactions

 

7.11.00       Off-exchange transactions become irrevocable once the sell side of the transaction has been validated against balances held in the appropriate Central Securities Depository  account  and this has been confirmed by the buying counterparty in accordance with the procedures as set out hereunder in  order to ensure that only irrevocable deals are reported to the market.

 

7.11.01       In order for off-exchange transactions to be validated, both buy and sell orders must include the following information:

(i)                  name or symbol of listed security to be traded;

(ii)                whether the order is a buy or sell order;

(iii)               the volume of securities transacted [in the case of equity the minimum board lot that can be validated is 1. No fractional shares may be transacted off-exchange. In the case of fixed income securities the minimum board lot is 100 or any other minimum as set out in the relevant Offering Memorandum of the security being transacted];

(iv)              price at which the off-exchange deal has been transacted. [In the case of equities, prices are to be quoted as price per share up to three decimal places. Prices in fixed income securities are to be quoted in price per one hundred nominal up to two decimal places];

 

(v)                MSE Account No. of the underlying client; and

(vi)              counterparty [buy or sell Direct Participant as the case may be].

 

7.11.02       Should a Direct Participant be submitting an off-exchange transaction order on behalf of an Indirect Participant, the Indirect Participant  is to be indicated in the field available on the order screen in order that the transaction may be reported correctly.

 

                   Clearing and Settlement

 

7.12.00       Clients transacting listed securities off-exchange may opt to have such transactions settled through the Exchange’s security settlement system/s in operation at the time of the transaction and in accordance with the prevalent rules of such a security settlement system or may opt that such transactions are settled in any other manner, not being the securities settlement system/s operated by the Exchange.

 

7.12.01       Authorised Intermediaries must ensure that they have clear instructions from their clients regarding their settlement option and furthermore, to ensure that off-exchange transactions are entered into the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System at such time as established by the Exchange in order to ensure that off-exchange deals are settled in accordance with clients’ instructions.

 

7.12.02       Off-exchange transactions not to cleared through the Exchange’s securities settlement system/s will be considered to be free of payment transactions by the Exchange.

 

Operating Hours
 
7.13.00       The Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System  operating hours may be split into a number stages to allow for clearing of off-exchange transactions through the Exchange’s securities settlement system/s or through any other means as agreed to by the underlying clients.
 

7.13.01       The Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System operating hours will be as stipulated by the Exchange and may be changed from time to time as deemed appropriate by the Exchange.

 

7.13.02       The Exchange will inform all Participants of the operating days and times of the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System by means of a Council Notice giving such dates and times for the forthcoming calendar year. Any amendments to the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System operating times will likewise be disseminated by Council Notice.

 

                   Procedures

 

7.14.00       Once an off-exchange transaction has been agreed to by the underlying clients, in order for such deal to be verified at source, the relevant details of the sell side of the transaction as outlined in bye-law 7.11.01 above must be entered into the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System by the selling Direct Participant.

 

7.14.01       The sell order will be verified against the underlying client’s holdings as registered within the Central Securities Depository and if validated, shall be submitted to the buying Direct Participant who shall enter the counterparty information for confirmation and execution.

 

7.14.02       Should the sell order not be confirmed against the selling client’s holdings as registered within the Central Securities Depository, the order will be returned to the selling Direct Participant for any appropriate action.

 

7.14.03       Should the buying Direct Participant  not confirm counterparty details, the outstanding sell order shall be deleted from the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System at the close of the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System session.

 

Reporting

 

7.15.00       Once an off-exchange deal has been agreed to by the underlying clients, this must be entered into the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System as described in bye-laws 7.14.00 to 7.14.03  above within the time frames set out in Article 4 of the Off-Exchange Trading Regulations, 2004.

 

7.15.01   Input of off-exchange trades into the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System will be deemed to be reporting to the Exchange and the Central Securities Depository in terms or Articles 5 and 6 of the Off-Exchange Trading Regulations, 2004.

 

7.15.02       In the case of Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System transactions, where the underlying clients have opted to clear such transactions through the Exchange’s securities settlement system/s, the Exchange shall provide the Direct Participants with sufficient information to enable them to issue appropriate client contract notes, including the calculation of the accrued interest.

 

                   Registration Advices

 

7.16.00       The Central Securities Depository will amend the accounts of holders who have traded on the Off-Exchange Trade Validation and Reporting System in terms of its own procedures and will issue Registration Advices in accordance with bye-law 4.02.06.