Regulation
China encourages private investment in banking sector
China will allow private capital to invest in banks on an equal footing to other forms of capital. The move, which in theory will see substantial barriers to PE involvement in the industry, comes as the government opens up certain state-controlled and...
India funds given six months to comply with new regulations
Indian private equity funds have been given a six-month window to comply with new rules governing alternative investment funds (AIFs). While existing vehicles are free to complete their investment cycles, they will not be able to raise fresh capital until...
RMB partnership funds face tax trouble
The Chinese government is preparing legislation that clarifies how GPs and LPs are taxed on gains derived from local currency partnership funds. Clearer guidelines would help, but it likely means a larger tax bill
Regulatory delays add $300m to MBK's CNS price tag
MBK Partners' exit from Taiwanese cable television business CNS could collapse because the prospective buyer is unhappy at how delays in regulatory approvals have added up to NT$10 billion (US$341 million) to the original price tag.
India postpones anti-avoidance rules, cuts capital gains tax for PE
India has postponed the implementation of anti-avoidance legislation, which impacts the tax treatment of offshore structures used to channel capital into the country, and reduced the tax rate on capital gains arising from private equity transactions....
China securities regulator to rein in IPO pricing
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has revised guidelines on new share issuance, requiring the selling party to disclose additional and detailed information if it prices its IPO at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio 25% higher than the average...
Foreign RMB funds to be classified as overseas entities
China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has decreed that all the capital in renminbi-denominated funds raised by foreign PE firms must come from local investors if they are to be considered domestic entities. Failure to comply means...
China to include private equity in QFII program
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) is seeking to include private equity and hedge funds in the country’s Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) program.
Carlyle backs China Forestry despite damning report
The Carlyle Group believes troubled portfolio company China Forestry Holdings still holds value despite the firm admitting last week that it was only able to account for 1% of its historical sales. Hong Kong-listed China Forestry has been suspended from...
China consider capital gains tax for PE funds
China's central government is planning to impose a 35-40% capital gains tax on investments made by private equity and venture capital funds, as part of the effort to streamline its taxation system for such vehicles.
Comply or die? GPs, technology and reporting standards
Fund managers are dealing with the challenges of an increasingly demanding LP base. Asian GPs looking for institutional money must invest in compliance or rely on their track records to carry them through
India considers capital gains tax cut for PE investors – report
India’s Finance Ministry is reportedly considering a move to halve the long-term capital gains tax imposed on private equity investors to 10%. It is seen as an effort to shore up PE interest at a time when there is considerable uncertainty about the tax...
Bain, TPG ask for Lilliput audit report to be made public
Bain Capital and TPG Capital filed an application with Delhi High Court Thursday, requesting that an interim report by a court-appointed independent auditor on portfolio company Lilliput Kidswear be made public. The private equity firms have been in conflict...
India's NSE considers stock exchange listing
General Atlantic-backed National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) is considering a listing on the public markets, but first need to consider the impact of upcoming rules.
The listening regulator
To ask an Indian private equity professional what he thinks of domestic regulators is to invite a torrent of feedback, most of it critical. “They don’t understand the industry… They don’t listen to what we have to say… They are incompetent…” Indeed, the...
Shanghai to allow PE funds to raise RMB for overseas investment
Shanghai is planning to launch a pilot program that would allow both international and domestic private equity managers to raise renminbi from Chinese companies and individuals for outbound investments.
Indian regulator finalizes PE oversight measures
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has released a final version of regulations intended to tighten its control over the private equity industry. The new rules governing alternative investment funds (AIFs) replace the venture capital funds...
PE firms wary of India's proposed tax law changes
Foreign private equity investors remain concerned about perceived ambiguities in India’s proposed anti-avoidance legislation, which impacts the tax treatment of offshore structures used to channel capital into the country. The legislation forms part of...
India relaxes rules on secondary deals by foreign PE firms
Foreign private equity and venture capital firms now have license to pursue direct secondary transactions in India after the country’s central bank relaxed regulations on their activity. It potentially opens the door to a string of asset purchases from...
TCT gets Chinese equity investment management license
Singapore-based Treasury China Trust (TCT), run by Treasury Holdings Group, Ireland’s largest property group, has received approval from the Chinese regulator to establish an equity investment management business in Shanghai.
Taiwan eases VC investment rules for brokerages
Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is going to relax restrictions governing investments by securities houses in venture capital firms, as part of its efforts to broaden their sources of earnings.
Big payouts detract from the real issues
The Last couple of months have been interesting times for private equity but perhaps largely for the wrong reasons. As all of you know, Mitt Romney’s bid for the Republican presidential candidacy has spurred criticism from rival politicians keen to attack...
China to include PE in new securities fund law
China is likely to introduce a revised securities fund law this year, which could classify private equity vehicles as a legal product subject to clearer regulations.
SEC files lawsuit against executives of Chinese coal company
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a lawsuit against two Chinese executives from Puda Coal, accusing them of shifting its main asset to a third-party company and then selling a stake to CITIC Trust. Ming Zhao and Liping Zhu, chairman...