Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) announced today (Thursday) that the pilot scheme requiring new listing applicants to post a web proof information pack (WPIP) on the HKEx or Growth Enterprise Market website, as applicable, will commence on 1 January 2008.
A joint policy statement was issued by the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of HKEx, and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) on 5 November 2007 announcing the pilot scheme, whereby a WPIP will be made available prior to the issue of an initial public offering prospectus. The Joint Policy Statement can be found at
http://www.hkex.com.hk/eng/newsconsul/hkexnews/2007/071105news.htm.
The WPIPs will be posted under the ‘Listing Matters and Listed Companies’ section of the HKEx website athttp://www.hkex.com.hk, or the ‘Web Proof Information Packs’ section of the Growth Enterprise Market website atwww.hkgem.com.
All new listing applicants, including new applicants of collective investment schemes (CIS) contemplating a public offering through an SFC-authorised offering circular, and their advisers are reminded to make all necessary arrangements to comply with the WPIP-posting requirement. New applicants and their advisers are also encouraged to contact the relevant staff of HKEx’s IPO Transactions Department or, in the case of CIS listing applicants, the relevant staff of the Investment Products Department of the SFC if they envisage any difficulties in complying fully with the WPIP-posting requirement.