E-Financial
NSE Fines 8 Firms N13.7m for Failing to File Financial Statements
Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has fined eight quoted companies to the tune of N13.7 million, for failing to file their audited and interim financial statements after the regulatory due date.
According to the X-Compliance Report, the NSE applied sanctions in accordance with the Rules for Filing of Accounts and Treatment of Default Filing, Rulebook of the Exchange (Issuers’ Rules).
The X-Compliance Report, which is a transparency initiative of the NSE, designed to maintain market integrity and protect investors by providing compliance related information on all listed companies, revealed that Greif Nigeria Plc was fined N500,000, Deap Management was fined N3.8 million and N1.7 million for the late filing of its 2019 full year audited result as well as its Q2 2020 result, while Thomas Wyatt Nigeria Plc which failed to file its third-quarter result at the expected time was fined N700,000.
Other companies axed for non compliance include Ellah Lakes Plc fined N200,000 fine, African Alliance N3.2 million fine, Universal Insurance which paid N3.2 million fine while Conoil Plc is expected to pay a N400,000 fine, to raise the total fines to about N13.7 million in 2020.
The report further revealed that Access Bank, Diamond Bank, First Aluminium as well as Union Bank were fined for failing to disclose material information in their books to the investing community.
“Every listed company is required to provide the NSE with timely information to enable it to efficiently perform its function of maintaining an orderly market. In accordance with the provisions of Appendix III: General Undertaking (Equities), Rulebook of the Exchange, 2015 (Issuers’ Rules) and the Exchange’s Circular No. NSE/LARD/LRD/CIR3/17/05/12 on Publication of Announcements or Press Releases via the Issuers’ Portal, listed companies are required to obtain prior written approval from the Exchange before publications that affect shareholders’ interest are made in the media or via the Issuers’ Portal”, the report stated.
E-Financial
SEC Restates Commitment to Transparency in Fintech Regulation
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has assured stakeholders in the fintech space it is committed to ensuring transparency and integrity in the regulation of the space.
Dr. Emomotimi Agama, director general, SEC, said it has provided a level playing field to all applicants.
Agama, stated this during a meeting with Regulatory Incubation and Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Program applicants on Monday.
The SEC DG stated that the commission understands the anxiety and the need to be regulated but added that they have to be very careful even in its desire to be inclusive.
He said, “The process of registration is a very technical process because registration is the hallmark of regulation. It goes beyond onboarding and registering, it requires monitoring, education, and surveillance and all of these are continuous. This journey is a new one that we have not gone through before. As we continue, we will find challenges, which we need to solve because every challenge is solvable.
“I am here to assuage fears being exhibited, we have provided a level playing field but as a government institution we must take things into context while doing this. The groups that were admitted into the ARIP and RI are beginning to see that we have started demanding for some information, operational updates and more regulatory requirements in line with the concept of a Regulation Incubation Programme or a Sandbox as some other institutions call it. In doing this, we are understudying what they are doing and the risk that they pose to investors and to themselves.
“We have not only done that, we have also issued new regulations to the public, which we call an exposure document. If you look at it, it is an upgraded version of our earlier regulations and the regulation making process demands that we get your views as stakeholders before it becomes a regulation.”
Agama stated that the inputs of stakeholders is important as regulators cannot claim to know everything adding that the rules would be amended to include all valid points to make it an all-inclusive document.
He further disclosed that the commission has increased the space to include more regulations to accommodate more individuals, more institutions and more functions because accommodation is the stance of the government regarding the space.
E-Financial
Ecobank Warns against Fraud during Yuletide
Ecobank Nigeria has cautioned customers to be vigilant against fraudsters during the Yuletide while promising uninterrupted access to banking services through its digital platforms throughout the holiday season.
In a statement on Monday, Adeola Ogunyemi, head, Consumer Banking at Ecobank Nigeria, emphasised that customers can continue their shopping and transactions smoothly via the bank’s various digital channels.
Ogunyemi highlighted the Bank’s long-standing commitment to digital transformation, which aims to improve customer experience and provide alternative access to banking services.
Ecobank Nigeria is an affiliate of the Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African banking group.
The bank offers a comprehensive suite of financial services and solutions to consumer, commercial, corporate, and investment banking customers at over 240 branches and 35,000 Xpress Point agencies across Nigeria.
E-Financial
CBN Permits BDC Operators to Buy FX from NAFEM During Festive Season
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced that eligible Bureau de Change (BDC) operators will have temporary access to the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) to purchase $25,000 weekly. This arrangement, aimed at addressing seasonal foreign exchange (FX) demand, will be effective from December 19, 2024, to January 30, 2025.
In a statement signed by T.G. Allu, CBN’s acting director of trade and exchange, the apex bank said BDC operators would buy FX from authorized dealers—banks licensed by the CBN—exclusively to meet retail market demand.
“To meet expected seasonal demand for foreign exchange, the CBN is allowing temporary access for all existing BDCs to the NAFEM for the purchase of FX from Authorized Dealers, subject to a weekly cap of $25,000,” the statement read.
BDC operators must fully fund their accounts before accessing the market at prevailing NAFEM rates, choosing only one authorized dealer for transactions under this arrangement. A maximum price spread of 1% is allowed for retail pricing by BDCs, and all transactions will be reported to the CBN’s Trade and Exchange Department.
The CBN reiterated that personal travel allowance (PTA) and business travel allowance (BTA) remain available through banks for legitimate travel needs. The bank emphasized that all FX transactions must be conducted at market-determined exchange rates.
“The CBN remains committed to a fully functional foreign exchange market and will continue to provide liquidity when necessary to manage price volatility,” the statement added.
Earlier in September, the CBN approved FX sales to eligible BDC operators at a rate of N1,590 per dollar to cater to demand for invisible transactions, reflecting ongoing efforts to stabilize the FX market.
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