About ASEAN CIS
Under the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) CIS framework, the units of a fund authorised in one CIS domicile (home jurisdiction) can be offered in other participating countries (host jurisdictions) upon approval by home and host regulators.
What is the ASEAN CIS framework?
The ASEAN CIS framework is an initiative from the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) economic community which aims to establish a single market and production base with a free flow of goods, services, investments, skilled labour and a free flow of capital.
Under the ASEAN CIS framework, the units of a fund authorised in one CIS domicile (home jurisdiction) can be offered in other participating countries (host jurisdictions) upon approval by home and host regulators.
Participating regulatory bodies and guidelines of the ASEAN CIS framework
The participating regulatory bodies of the ASEAN CIS framework are:
- the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS),
- the Securities Commission of Malaysia,
- the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand,
- and the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippines.
Guidelines for participation to the ASEAN CIS framework are detailed in two key documents:
- The Standards of Qualifying CIS,
- Handbook for ASEAN CIS and Their Operators,
- And the Handbook for Cross-border Offerings of ASEAN Sustainable and Responsible Funds under the ASEAN CIS Framework.
ASEAN CIS – Key requirements for related parties
- An ASEAN CIS operator must have at least:
- Five years of experience in managing collective investment schemes
- USD 500 million of assets under management globally
- Shareholder equity of USD 1 million
- And maintain specified capital adequacy
- An ASEAN CIS operator must also undertake to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the host jurisdiction’s courts.
- Subject to certain conditions, a CIS Operator may delegate any function.
- A Qualifying CIS must appoint (i) a trustee / fund supervisor or (ii) an Independent Oversight Entity (IOE).
- Local distributors must be regulated or licensed by the host regulator and a qualified local representative must be appointed.
- The NAV is calculated and published at least every dealing day and the published NAV must be readily accessible by investors in the host jurisdiction.
ASEAN CIS – Key fund requirements
- Funds must be assessed as suitable for cross-border distribution by the home regulator
- Funds can only invest in specific assets classes: transferable securities, money market instruments, deposits, units of other CISs and financial derivatives
- Funds are subject to a set of investment restrictions including aggregate limit, borrowing limit, concentration limit, usage of derivatives, etc.
- Additional rules apply for money market funds, master feeder funds, funds of funds and exchange-traded funds
Scope of the ASEAN CIS framework
Asset managers with authorised CIS funds in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines who wish to raise assets from retail investors within the three participating markets.
Industry implications of the ASEAN CIS framework
The ASEAN CIS framework aims to foster cross-border fund distribution and shorten time to market for funds. Local investors will benefit from a wider choice of funds as product expertise is exported to different markets.
This is an opportunity to consolidate the management of funds and streamline operating models. In the future, the ASEAN CIS framework may merge with other Asian cross-border fund schemes, such as the Asia Region Funds Passport.
- Distribution challenges for asset managers
- Currency restrictions in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines: onshore
- Responsibility of the CIS operator to appoint suitable representative offices and registrars/transfer agents in host jurisdictions
- Taxation: country specific withholding tax rules, taxation on residents and non-residents, etc.
- Compliance and regulatory challenges
- Country-specific requirements such as specific currencies for fund offerings, languages for offering documents, timeframes for the application process, etc.
- Multiple monitoring and reporting procedures in order to be compliant across home and host jurisdictions
Securities Services’ view
The ASEAN CIS scheme complements the UCITS scheme, allowing asset managers to access traditionally closed fund markets such as Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. However, it is imperative that the participating regulators continue to harmonise regulations among the various jurisdictions to reduce the barriers to entry to the ASEAN CIS framework.
We provide end-to-end solutions (global custody, fund accounting, trustee services, transfer agency, middle office outsourcing, forex solutions, share class hedging, etc.) for the Singapore domiciled funds eligible under the ASEAN CIS framework.
We support cross-border distribution in the participating jurisdictions, through our transfer agency’s connectivity with local distributors. Our expertise in cross-border distribution extends to Europe, where we have a proven track record.
Key dates of the ASEAN CIS framework
2008 – Implementation plan developed to facilitate cross-border offers of CIS
2013 – Founding countries signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a cross-border offerings framework for ASEAN CIS
August 2014 – ASEAN CIS framework officially launched
May 2021 – the Philippines added to the participating jurisdictions
October 2023 – Handbook for Cross-border Offerings of ASEAN Sustainable and Responsible Funds under ASEAN CIS Framework announced
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