COVID-19 Related Circulars or Guidance (Non-Exhaustive) Published By Financial Services Regulators of Hong Kong (Last Updated: 18 April 2020)

Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Circulars/Guidelines

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The SFC published a circular reminding management companies of exchange traded funds (ETFs) of their responsibility to manage ETFs in the best interests of investors. The circular was prompted by a recent incident where the sole market maker of an ETF temporarily suspended its market making functions for the ETF as some of its traders were under mandatory quarantine due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The SFC is concerned as to the sufficiency of risk management measures of management companies and market makers of ETFs as a whole.  Accordingly, the SFC:

1. Reminded ETF management companies of the duty to closely monitor the operations and activities (including secondary market trading and liquidity) of the ETF and to ensure the trading of SFC-authorized ETFs is conducted in a fair and orderly manner, including to:
   1. conduct due diligence on and regular monitoring of market makers and be reasonably satisfied that they remain competent and properly resourced to duly discharge the market making functions (including having appropriate business contingency plans in place);
   2. closely monitor the secondary market trading and liquidity of the ETFs under their management, including the market making activities and performance of the market makers of their ETFs;
   3. maintain a close dialogue with each market maker and make appropriate arrangements to ensure that such market maker will inform the management company immediately if it experiences or foresees that it will experience any operational difficulties or disruptions that may affect the proper discharge of its market making functions;
   4. properly manage the risk of reliance on a single market maker to provide secondary market liquidity for an ETF.  This may include procuring more than one market maker for an ETF or securing appropriate arrangement for an alternative market maker to readily step in with short notice in the event of cessation, disruption or suspension of market making activities of the last market maker;
   5. be fully aware of and comply with the administrative arrangements and other requirements associated with the listing of ETFs on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (SEHK), including the procedures of the publication of announcements or notices on the SEHK’s website such as the publication windows cut-off times; 
   6. in the event of cessation, disruption or suspension of market making activities or upon notice of such an event happening:
      1. report to the SFC immediately the cessation, disruption or suspension;
      2. assess whether the cessation, disruption or suspension of market making activities for units/shares (traded in any counter) of an ETF under its management could adversely affect the interests of investors;
      3. keep investors informed as required under 8.6(q) of the Code on Unit Trusts and Mutual Funds; and
   7. give the SFC early alerts of any untoward circumstances relating to the ETFs under its management, including any issues which may adversely affect the operations and secondary market trading and liquidity of its ETFs (including receipt of any resignation notice of the last market maker).
2. Reminded market makers of ETFs to ensure compliance with applicable laws, rules, regulations and conduct requirements administered or issued by the SFC (including the Code of Conduct for Persons Licensed by or Registered with the Securities and Futures Commission) and the applicable rules of SEHK when conducting their business activities (including the Securities Market Maker Regulations), including in particular to:
   1. establish and maintain appropriate internal controls and risk management measures, including an effective business continuity plan commensurate with their size and scale of business, to protect their key business functions of market making. The plan should identify likely scenarios involving disruptions, appropriate backup facilities or alternative arrangements, as well as adequate personnel for the continuity of market making activities;
   2. invoke contingency measures in a timely fashion in anticipation of potential operational disruptions to maintain the key business functions; and
   3. alert the management company of the ETFs, the SFC and the SEHK immediately if they experience or foresee that they will experience any operational difficulties or disruptions that may affect the proper discharge of their market making functions for ETFs.

2

Joint Statement in relation to General Meetings in light of the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation

The SFC and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (SEHK) published a joint statement regarding the impact of the recently introduced Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G) on corporate annual general meetings (AGM), extraordinary general meetings (EGM) and special general meetings (SGM). The SFC and SEHK clarified that AGMs fall under an exemption in Cap. 599G, while EGMs and SGMs can also fall under the same exemption under certain circumstances. The SFC and SEHK also set out some guidelines for listed issuers to consider when deciding on the timing of their meetings.

1 April 2020

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FAQ – Licensing related matters in light of the COVID-19 pandemic

The SFC published an FAQ on concerns and issues faced by intermediaries and licence applicants relating to licensing related matters. The FAQ covers issues such as working from home, and arrangements relating to extension of timeline for filing audited accounts or extension of timeline for completing annual CPT requirements.

31 March 2020

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3

Circular to intermediaries – Extended deadlines for implementation of regulatory expectations and reminder of order recording requirements under COVID-19 pandemic

The SFC published a circular on the extension of implementation deadlines for a number of upcoming regulatory expectations by six months, including expectations on the use of external electronic data storage, new measures to protect client assets (client asset acknowledgement letters), and data standards for life cycles. The SFC also reminded intermediaries of their need to continue to comply with the order recording requirements under paragraph 3.9 of the Code of Conduct for Persons Licensed by or Registered with the SFC.

31 March 2020

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Please also see Legal Update here

4

Circular to intermediaries - Reminder of important obligations to ensure suitability and timely dissemination of information to clients

The SFC published a circular reminding licensed and registered persons of their obligations under the Code of Conduct for Persons Licensed by or Registered with the SFC. In particular, the SFC emphasized the need to observe the suitability obligations when they make a solicitation or recommendation and the obligation to disseminate information in a timely manner when they hold an investment product directly or indirectly on behalf of clients, as well as the need to act in the best interests of their clients.

27 March 2020

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Please also see Legal Update here

5

Circular to management companies and trustees and custodians of SFC-authorized funds

The SFC published a circular reminding managers, trustees, and custodians of SFC-authorized funds of their obligations to properly manage the liquidity of their funds and ensure fair treatment of investors in the wake of the market volatility caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The SFC  has stepped up its monitoring of authorized funds in light of the current market conditions.

27 March 2020

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Please also see Legal Update here

6

Further Guidance on the Joint Statement in relation to Results Announcements in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The SFC and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (SEHK) provided further guidance on the joint statement of 4 February 2020 regarding the release of results by listed companies. The SFC and SEHK provided clarifications on a number of issues, such as guidance for issuers who are unable to publish a preliminary results announcement in accordance with the Listing Rules by 31 March 2020 and guidance for both GEM and Main Board issuers on the publication of annual reports by the respective 31 March 2020 and 30 April 2020 deadlines.

16 March 2020

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7

Joint Statement in relation to Results Announcements in light of Travel Restrictions related to the Severe Respiratory Disease associated with a Novel Infectious Agent

The SFC and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (SEHK) issued a joint statement to listed issuers and auditors regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the ability of listed issuers to meet reporting requirements under the Listing Rules, namely announcement of their financial information and results by the 31 March 2020 deadline. The SFC and SEHK noted that travel and other restrictions caused by the outbreak may cause disruption to the reporting and audit processes of listed issuers, and encouraged them to consult the SEHK and provide details of the circumstances which would prevent them from meeting the requirements. The SEHK will then provide further guidance in conjunction with the SFC.

4 February 2020

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Please also see the FAQ on the joint statement here

Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) Circulars/Guidelines

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Please also see the HKMA’s previous press release dated 16 April 2020 for further details of the Special 100% Loan Guarantee here

(also covered below in item 3) 

The HKMA published a circular announcing the launch of the Pre-approved Principal Payment Holiday Scheme (Scheme) on 1 May 2020. The Scheme is intended to provide immediate relief to eligible small-to-mid-sized corporates facing financial issues in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.  The HKMA expects all authorized institutions (AIs) to participate in the Scheme, and has confirmed that all of the 11 major lenders in the Banking Sector SME Lending Coordination Mechanism will participate. 

Under the Scheme, participating AIs will pre-approve deferment of loan principal payments falling due between 1 May 2020 and 31 October 2020 of eligible small-to-mid-sized corporates for up to 6 months.    All corporate borrowers that have an annual sales turnover of HK$800mn or less (estimated to cover more than 80% of all corporate borrowers in Hong Kong), and that have no outstanding loan payments overdue for more than 30 days are eligible for the Scheme. Applications by borrowers are not required so that financial relief can be provided to corporates in the timeliest manner. In accordance with the HKMA’s loan classification guidelines, deferments of principal payments under the Scheme will not by themselves render a loan account to be downgraded to a lower category. 

For corporate customers not currently covered by the Scheme or have payment falling due before 1 May 2020, the HKMA expects AIs to adopt a sympathetic stance and proactively reach out to those customers to understand whether they require similar assistance and assess, on a case-by-case basis, whether it is in line with established risk management principles to provide such arrangements.

The HKMA will issue FAQs about the operation of the Scheme. AIs may approach the HKMA through their usual contacts at the Banking Supervision Department for any question about this circular.

The HKMA published a press release reporting that Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Insurance Limited (HKMCI) had announced the launch of its Special 100% Loan Guarantee under the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme (SFGS) and would begin receiving applications from 20 April 2020. The guarantee arrangement is intended to help ease the cash flow issues of enterprises affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. 

HKMCI welcomes all lenders under the SFGS to participate in the guarantee arrangement. The following lenders will receive applications from 20 April 2020: Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, Bank of Communications (Hong Kong) Limited, Chong Hing Bank Limited, DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, Hang Seng Bank Limited, Nanyang Commercial Bank, Ltd., OCBC Wing Hang Bank Limited, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, The Bank of East Asia, Limited and The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. Other lenders have also indicated their interest in joining. 

The HKMA published a circular informing locally incorporated authorized institutions (AI) of its decision to lower the regulatory reserve (RR) requirement on locally incorporated AIs by 50% with immediate effect. The HKMA noted that the decision was taken partly in light of the need to provide AIs with more lending headroom to support customers in coping with the COVID-19 outbreak, and encouraged AIs to do so. The HKMA expects that AIs should not use the RR release for dividend distribution, share buyback or payment of bonus to senior management. The HKMA will continue to assess the situation to determine if any further adjustments are necessary.  AIs may approach  the HKMA through their usual contacts at the Banking Supervision Department for any question about this circular.

The RR requirement was implemented under the Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standard 9 (HKFRS 9) since January 2018. The HKMA observes that locally incorporated AIs have made good progress in enhancing their expected loss provisioning models, systems and controls, and in general reported notable increases in their accounting provisions for the second half of 2019 given the deterioration in the economic environment.  This indicates that the “expected loss” provisioning requirement under HKFRS 9 is robust and responsive to changes in external conditions.  Accordingly, the need for locally incorporated AIs to maintain an RR on top of accounting provisions has diminished. This also plays a part in the HKMA's decision to lower the RR requirement.

7

The HKMA and the banking sector join forces to help Hong Kong’s economy overcome the outbreak of COVID-19

The HKMA published a press release summarizing the results of a meeting with Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Insurance Limited (HKMCI), major banks, and representatives from the commercial sector regarding measures by banks and the HKMA to support SMEs in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The HKMA noted that a number of previous measures had seen success and provided statistics in this regard. The HKMA and HKMCI also suggested 5 more measures to further support SMEs in addressing cash-flow pressure.

3 April 2020

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Please also see Legal Update here

8

Liquidity measures in response to Covid-19 outbreak

The HKMA published a circular outlining liquidity measures taken to ensure the continued operation of the interbank market and banking system. The measures taken focus on three aspects, namely the HKMA’s Liquidity Facilities Framework, the Federal Reserve’s temporary Financial Services Instant Messaging Association (FIMA) Repo Facility, and the HKMA’s supervisory expectations on the use of liquidity buffers under the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) and liquidity maintenance ratio (LMR) regimes. The HKMA also reminded authorized institutions (AI) to ensure they have the appropriate internal policies and processes in place when using the HKMA’s liquidity facilities and buffers, and the HKMA will reach out to AIs to ensure compliance.

3 April 2020

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Please also see the Annex to the circular containing clarifications on the HKMA’s Standby Liquidity Facilities (SLF) framework here

9

Deferral of Basel III implementation and HKMA’s supervisory actions in response to COVID-19

The HKMA published a circular in response to the decision by the Group of Central Bank Governors and Heads of Supervision (GHOS) to defer the implementation of Basel III by one year, to allow banks time to deal with current issues arising from the COVID-19 outbreak. The HKMA stated that it would accordingly delay its own implementation of Basel III to 1 January 2023, in line with GHOS.

30 March 2020

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10

Requirements under section 60 of the Banking Ordinance (Cap. 155) and disclosure requirements under the Banking (Disclosure) Rules (Cap. 155M)

The HKMA published a circular regarding the requirement for authorized institutions (AIs) incorporated in or outside Hong Kong to file audited annual accounts and other documents with the HKMA under section 60 of the Banking Ordinance. The HKMA will allow AIs to apply in writing for an extension of the deadline to do so, if necessary due to operational difficulties caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

7 February 2020

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11

Measures to relieve impact of the novel coronavirus

The HKMA published a circular outlining measures that authorized institutions (AI) should implement to relieve the impact of COVID-19 on their customers. The measures include temporary relief measures to lessen the impact of financial stress, such as principal moratorium for residential and commercial mortgages and fee reduction for credit card borrowing. The HKMA also suggested AIs should adopt a sympathetic stance in dealing with customers facing financial stress, and communicate their policies to relevant staff to ensure consistent treatment of customers.

6 February 2020

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Insurance Authority (IA) Circulars/Guidelines

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2

Phase 2 of the temporary facilitative measures to tackle the outbreak of COVID-19

The IA published a circular introducing phase 2 of the temporary facilitative measures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Phase 2 extends the measures to cover term insurance policies, refundable insurance policies without a substantial savings component, and renewable insurance policies without cash value that provide insurance protection (eg hospital cash, medical, critical illness, personal accident, disability or long-term care cover).

27 March 2020

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Please also see Legal Update here

3

Submission of Audited Financial Statements and Auditor’s Report under Section 73(1) of the Insurance Ordinance (Cap.41) (“IO”)

The IA published a circular regarding the requirement for licensed insurance broker companies to submit audited financial statements and an auditor’s report under section 73(1) of the Insurance Ordinance (Cap.41). The IA will allow broker companies to apply for an exemption to the deadline to submit these documents under section 79 of Cap.41, if such companies encounter difficulties in complying with the deadline due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The IA will consider the circumstances and impact of the outbreak on each individual broker in assessing the application.

24 February 2020

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4

Temporary facilitative measures to tackle the recent outbreak of Novel Coronavirus

The IA published a circular introducing temporary facilitative measures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The measures largely involve the facilitation of the distribution of Qualifying Deferred Annuity Policy (QDAP) and Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) products via non-face-to-face methods, provided that authorized insurers adopt two compensating measures – upfront disclosure and an extended cooling-off period. The circular also sets out guidelines on the implementation of non-face-to-face distribution methods.

21 February 2020

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Please also Legal Update here