ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has introduced the concept of Digital Asset Management Companies (AMCs) to promote financial inclusion and to simplify investment in AMCs.
In Pakistan, there are currently 21 AMCs with assets under management of Rs. 1.2 trillion. The mutual fund industry in Pakistan has only approximately 320,000 investors (0.14% of total population), which means this segment of capital markets is under-penetrated in comparison to other international jurisdictions.
According to the concept paper issued by the SECP on Monday, the Digital AMCs have the potential to facilitate investors and increase investor base, by reducing paperwork, providing services remotely, and leveraging customer data.
These companies will provide all AMC services, including launching of allowed Collective Investment Schemes (CIS), online account opening to issuance and redemption of units and inter CIS conversions through digital means, where the investor is no longer required to visit any distribution point physically.
The existing regulatory framework for AMCs was reviewed to create enablers for Digital AMCs. Critical regulatory gaps, challenges and barriers restricting digitalization of AMCs were identified, SECP said.
The concept note covers areas like challenges faced by brick and mortar AMCs, potential of digital AMCs in Pakistan, key ambitions underlying the development of Digital AMCs, and critical regulatory challenges. It also proposes a framework for addressing these identified gaps and also assisting in development of a wider range of digital mutual fund distribution platforms.
Simultaneously, with publication of this concept paper, the SECP is also aiming to test the Digital AMC model in a sandbox testing environment.
The Digital Asset Management Company (Digital AMC) will provide all the asset management services, from launching of allowed Collective Investment Schemes (CIS), online account opening to issuance and redemption of units and inter CIS conversions through digital means, where the investor is no longer required to visit any distribution point physically.
A Digital AMC, being internet-based, will have the ability to overcome some of the challenges identified above and should increase investor penetration in the mutual fund sector. Digital AMC should also spur innovation and competition in this segment of the capital markets, thus supporting sector development. Since the Digital AMC will be allowed to distribute units of mutual funds online, this should also assist in development of a wider range of digital mutual fund distribution platforms.
A Digital AMC can take the conventional asset management services from the confines of bricks and mortar structures to digital channels with significant potential to reach the currently un-served low-income strata. Thus, they can become drivers of financial inclusion using digital channels.
Similar to how digital banks today are serving millions of customers through branchless agents, providing secure and convenient digital financial services to the masses through their digital payment platforms; Digital AMCs can similarly also follow suit to increase the footprint of asset management services substantially, SECP added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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