Singapore lifts ban on brokers on sale of structured notes

Reuters - 2 hours 27 minutes agoSend IM Story Print


SINGAPORE, Aug 24 - Singapore's central bank lifted a ban on the sale of structured notes for six brokerages on Tuesday after they complied with the regulator's orders.

The ban was imposed last year after a probe into the sale and marketing of the derivatives linked to failed Wall Street bank Lehman Brothers.

The brokerages are CIMB Securities Pte Ltd, DMG & Partners Securities Pte Ltd, Kim Eng Securities Pte Ltd, OCBC Securities Pte Ltd, Phillip Securities Pte Ltd and UOB Kay Hian Pte Ltd, the Monetary Authority of Singapore said in a statement.

The central bank said the six financial institutions have publicly pledged to implement various measures to ensure these products are fairly marketed and sold to retail investors. "These include stepping up training and supervision of their staff and enhancing the policies and procedures on their sales and advisory process, it said.

Thousands of Singapore investors lost money in 2008 after they bought risky derivatives linked to the collapsed U.S. investment bank that had been marketed as relatively safe alternatives to fixed deposits, sparking several protests in the tightly controlled city-state. [ID:nSIN22393]

Under MAS' directions, the financial institutions were required to appoint an external person to review their action plan and report on its implementation.