Out-Law News 1 min. read
29 Aug 2014, 2:29 pm
The HKMA said HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank have been mandated as joint global coordinators, lead managers and bookrunners of the proposed dollar-denominated sukuk offering. HKMA said other joint bookrunners include Asia-Pacific investment bank CIMB and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi.
The banks will arrange a series of “roadshows” in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the US starting in September for the 144A/Reg S-registered Islamic bond.
‘Hong Kong Sukuk 2014’, a special purpose vehicle fully owned by the government and established for issuing shariah-compliant securities in international markets is set to raise the debut note.
The HKMA said in its annual report for 2013 (18-page / 1.56 MB PDF) that the development of the sukuk market in the territory “forged ahead” with the enactment of legislation in 2013. HKMA said amending Hong Kong’s tax laws was necessary to provide “a comparable tax framework for common types of sukuk, vis-a-vis conventional bonds”.
The HKMA said it also “took another important step in promoting the development of Islamic finance in Hong Kong by collaborating with Bank Negara Malaysia to set up a private sector-led Joint Forum on Islamic Finance to strengthen collaboration between market participants in Hong Kong and Malaysia.”
Hong Kong’s fund management industry grew 27.2% year-on-year to a record high of 16 trillion Hong Kong dollars (HKD) ($2.06tn) at the end of 2013, according to figures released earlier this year by the territory’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC).
The survey said other private banking business increased by 2.7% to HKD 2.75tn ($387bn) in 2013 while fund advisory business grew by 11.6% to HKD 1.67tn ($250bn). The market capitalisation of SFC-authorised REITs (real estate investment trust) increased by about 1.7% to HKD 177bn ($23bn).