Infrastructure projects: FBR to be asked to incentivise retail, institutional investors

ISLAMABAD: Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Chairman Aamir Khan Saturday said that the SECP will propose to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to introduce necessary tax concessions to incentivize direct investments into infrastructure projects by retail and institutional investors.

Chairman SECP was delivering a keynote address at a Capacity Building Session for “Financing Infrastructure via Capital Markets, organized by the Infrazamin Pakistan to enhance outreach and understanding among

He stated that using capital markets is the only viable option for meeting the country’s infrastructure financing needs.

Aamir Khan further said that the government has initiated the transformation of the Pakistan Credit Guarantee Company, into a non-banking finance company (NBFC) structure. “The SECP has already granted permission for the creation of the new entity, the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited. Moreover, necessary amendments have also been incorporated in the NBFC Regulations, allowing credit guarantee companies to take enhanced exposure in contingent liabilities up to 10 times of their equity. The NCGC shall promote credit enhancement mechanism in an efficient and timely manner, while at the same time supporting development of the local bond market, he said.

In the developing world, one of the pivotal concerns remains the finite spending capability of governments to bridge the infrastructure financing gap. It is for this reason that attracting private investment is critical in ensuring the sustainable management of infrastructure, said SECP Chairman Aamir Khan.

Aamir gave examples where both sovereign and non-sovereign bonds have been issued to finance infrastructure projects, such as the Metro Manila Flood Management project in the Philippines, Mumbai urban transport project in India, or Izmir metro expansion project in Turkey. All of these projects have directly impacted and improved the lives of the masses, and have also contributed to the development of their respective bond markets, he added.

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In Pakistan, public and private infrastructure development has made some progress over the last decade. Consequently, significant investments have taken place in road networks, urban transportation and telecommunication sectors. This progress has not only improved the mobility and connectivity of the general public but has also helped those at the bottom of the pyramid to improve their livelihoods. Furthermore, he explained to participants, it has also brought financial inclusion to the under and un-served and created employment opportunities for the female population. And all of this has been achieved by investing a very small percentage of GDP.

It should be a matter of concern for all of us that Pakistan’s infrastructure spending is one of the lowest in the region and well below investment requirements of 8-10 % of GDP when we consider past and future demands. And the problem gets exacerbated every year, as the infrastructure projects are financed either directly by the government or by commercial banks against government guarantees. Given the limitation of financing from these sources, the investment gap shall continue to grow. Accordingly, all stakeholders need to sit together and map the obstacles that we face in adopting financing alternatives through the capital markets.

The SECP Chairman expressed his firm belief that Pakistan’s capital markets provide an untapped opportunity, and offer the most viable solution in bridging the gap in infrastructure financing needs that I touched upon. It will also help address the very low savings rate in the country, a long-standing obstacle in the expansion of the economy. The PKR 200 billion transactions of Pakistan Energy Sukuk in 2020, is a testament to the potential of capital markets. This significantly reduced the government’s cost of borrowing and allowed investors other than banks to participate directly.

Over the last two and half years, the SECP has introduced various enabling provisions in the regulatory space. He mentions that the SECP has simplified the process for issuance of Govt debt securities and Govt guaranteed debt securities; the market making framework has been revamped to address liquidity, and as a result, 16 financial institutions are registered with PSX as Market Makers; Origination of secured and unsecured debt securities, including GDS, through execution of issuance agreements has been introduced.

Infrastructure fund, as a separate category of a private fund, has been allowed to invest up to 70% of its net assets into the infrastructure sector. Moreover, the SECP has issued guidelines on Green Bonds, to enable the raising of funds to finance infrastructure projects that contribute positively to the environment.

He further explained that infrastructure mutual funds, in an open-end structure, are now mandated to invest 70% of their net assets into the infrastructure space; and PPP-REIT Schemes under the revamped REIT regulations can now undertake development, up-gradation, and maintenance of infrastructure projects.

These measures, khan said, are complementary to the 2016 SBP Prudential Regulations for infrastructure financing that expanded the scope of infrastructure financing to include social, cultural and commercial infrastructure projects.

The Government of Pakistan on its part has also introduced various reforms to facilitate the involvement of the private sector in this domain. The formation of a dedicated Public Private Partnership Authority, and recent 2021 amendments in the Public-Private Partnership Authority Act, have energized this space. As a result, the regulatory process for developing and structuring infrastructure projects on a PPP basis has been streamlined. Consequently, a number of mega projects have been approved by the Public Private Partnership Authority, such as Karachi Circular Railway, Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway and Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway.

In addition, Aamir said, the recent amendments in the Companies (Asset Backed Securitization) Rules 1999, have streamlined matters relating to management and transfer of property. Historically, this was the major hurdle in the way of using SPVs for infrastructure financing. Furthermore, adoption of the ABS Rules has been allowed for federal and provincial governments, to facilitate issuance of structured debt securities and raise funds through the capital market.

And lastly, the government has initiated the transformation of the Pakistan Credit Guarantee Company, into an NBFC structure. SECP has already granted permission for the creation of the new entity, the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited. Moreover, necessary amendments have also been incorporated in the NBFC Regulations, allowing credit guarantee companies to take enhanced exposure in contingent liabilities up to 10 times of their equity. The NCGC shall promote credit enhancement mechanism in an efficient and timely manner, while at the same time support development of the local bond market.

Having covered the current situation, the challenges, and measures introduced to address them thus far, the SEC chairman pointed out the areas where further actions are required.

Firstly, he said, it is imperative that infra-financing instruments are structured in a manner that appeals to investors. One such attraction is the provision of credit guarantees, in line with debt issuances globally, while meeting the local investors’ needs and preferences.

Secondly, improvements in the risk management structure in the project design phase are vital. Given the long-term duration, and complexities involved, especially in case of a PPP structure, a forward-looking approach needs to be implemented, that clearly accounts for life-cycle-oriented risk assessment. Thirdly, amendments may be introduced in the PPP law, to further improve the governance and risk management framework. Fourthly, operationalisation of a Viability Gap Fund is critical to attract and incentivize private sector involvement in social infrastructure development, he concluded.

Also, the importance of the agriculture sector in terms of generating employment, saving precious foreign exchange and ensuring food security must not be overlooked. When looking at the infrastructure needs, efforts must be focused towards diverting infrastructure financing to this sector. Pakistan is country that is vulnerable to climate change. Therefore, we must be mindful of environmental sensitivities while attracting private capital, with an eye on sustainability.

He stressed an effort to work for a technical listing of privately placed infrastructure investment pools such as Neelam Jhelum and Dasu Hydroelectric projects. On similar lines, the GoP must consider using capital markets for all future government-guaranteed infrastructure projects.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022