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2006 Asian Roundtable on Corporate Governance CG Development in Thailand: the Three Disciplines. Regulatory Discipline - Fostering Enforcement Mechanisms: The Regulatory Challenge. Chalee Chantanayingyong Securities and Exchange Commission, Thailand. Bangkok, Thailand September 13, 2006.
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2006 Asian Roundtable on Corporate GovernanceCG Development in Thailand: the Three Disciplines Regulatory Discipline - Fostering Enforcement Mechanisms: The Regulatory Challenge Chalee Chantanayingyong Securities and Exchange Commission, Thailand Bangkok, ThailandSeptember 13, 2006
Presentation Overview • Overview: CG Development in Thailand • Enforcement: Difficulties & Measures • An Unfinished Agenda
CG: National Agenda in 2002 Chaired by Prime Minister Subcommittee on Law Amendments and Enforcement Subcommittee on Accounting Standard Subcommittee on Best Practices of Listed Companies Subcommittee on Improvement of Corporate Governance of Commercial Banks, Finance Companies and Insurance Companies Subcommittee on Improvement of Corporate Governance of Securities Companies Subcommittee on Investors Education and Public Relations and on Corporate Governance in Thailand
3 Pillars for Better Corporate Governance Regulatory Disciplines Good CG Market Disciplines Self Disciplines
Symptoms • CG culture • Family-owned business and lots of related transactions • Inadequate level of knowledge among directors • Investors activism • Both retail and institutional investors are not active
Symptoms (Cont’d) • Enforcement • Insufficient enforcement mechanism • Legal proceedings involve too many agencies • Lack of understanding for capital market fraud among agencies
International View Points • World Bank • Report: CG – ROSC • Published: September 2005 • Countries participated: 37 countries • ACGA + CLSA (Hong Kong) • Report: CG Watch • Published: annually (September-October) • Countries participated: 10 Asian countries
CG – ROSC Source: CG-ROSC assessment of Asian countries during 2001-2005
CG – ROSC (cont’d) • Overall assessment • Significant corporate governance reforms have been introduced in recent years • Thailand continues to make progress in improving corporate governance • The reform agenda, however, remains incomplete • Changes in the regulatory framework need to be translated into actual practices
CG – ROSC (cont’d) • Recommendation – law enforcement • Establish corporate governance enforcement priorities • Improve enforcement for violation of laws • Introduce administrative and civil sanctions
CG Watch (cont’d) Thailand’s assessment during 2001-2005
Criminal Proceedings • Power of authorities Public Prosecutor Court Police SEC • SEC does not have sole authority to proceed criminal crimes
Criminal Proceedings (cont’d) • Lengthy legal process • Many steps and many agencies involved long duration of process • Frequent rotation of officials lack continuity • Complicated cases need knowledge and understanding of business activities • Problems in bringing offenders to justice • Difficulties in proving criminal crime need high standard of prove • Witnesses unwilling to get involved
Prevention Sanction Intervention 3 Steps Scheme The SEC’s alternative measures to strengthen enforcement power
I. Prevention • Review financial statements • 100% review of auditors’ report (quarterly & yearly financial statements) • In-depth review for irregularities • Extensive monitoring of auditors • 100% review of auditors’ working papers of IPO companies • Inquiry auditors for unclear or ambiguous messages
I. Prevention (cont’d) • Stringent monitoring of audit committee’s performance • Updating on “connected transactions” rule • Closely monitoring connected transactions
II. Intervention • Re-issuance of financial statements Result: • In 2004, 25 companies • In 2005, 37 companies • In 2006, 13 companies • For questionable RPT, top management needs to clarify Result: • In 2004, stopped 6 inappropriate transactions worth 3,000 million baht • In 2005, stopped 1 inappropriate transactions worth 350 million baht • In 2006, stopped 1 inappropriate transaction worth 180 million baht
II. Intervention (cont’d) • Share price manipulation • On-site inspection of securities companies to break market rumour • If there is rumour or leakage, listed company needs to clarify • Closely monitor listed companies’ disclosure to prevent financial statement cosmetic
III. Sanction Besides the criminal proceedings, the SEC introduces an administrative proceedings to be an alternative tool • Introduction of “Director Registration System” • Appointment of “Directors Responsibility Committee”
Whitelist What is Director Registry? • All listed + IPO companies have to register their directors and top executives in “Director Registry” through the SEC website • List of directors & top executives shown on the SEC website
Blacklist What is Director Registry? (cont’d) • Persons who conducted a malpractice e.g. breach of fiduciary duties or fraud or dishonest management are unqualified persons • SEC will “remove” such persons from whitelist to prevent any further damage to investors
Director Registry: Result Blacklist 126 persons Whitelist * Corporate fraud 43* Unfair securities trading 24* Operating securities business without license 24* Denounced by other regulators (BOT, SET) 35 ~ 8,000 persons Source: Director Registry System as of Aug 31, 2006
Directors Responsibility Committee • Objective To provide check & balance mechanism • Duties To advise SEC on sanctioning of directors • Composition 9 members comprising both regulators and business leaders
An Unfinished Agenda • Public’s perception & expectation on enforcement power • Continuous training and education among enforcing agencies • Modernizing the range of regulatory enforcement power • Empowering investors with more efficient tools