Securities deposited in the CCASS Depository are fungible and not earmarked for a particular participant. Participants depositing defective securities into CCASS will be held responsible to HKSCC.
Eligibility for Services
Clearing and custodian participants may deposit eligible securities (other than China Connect Securities) into the CCASS Depository and investor participants can only deposit share certificates registered in their names or in the name of HKSCC Nominees Limited. Normally, shares are credited to participants' stock accounts in CCASS upon deposit (for clearing and custodian participants) or upon successful re-registration into the name of HKSCC Nominees Limited (for investor participants). Stock pledgee participants are not entitled to deposit eligible securities into CCASS and only have limited rights of withdrawal out of CCASS.
Participants are responsible to HKSCC for good title to the share certificates they deposit into the CCASS Depository. The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong requires its members to insure against potential losses. HKSCC may also require CCASS participants other than Clearing Participants to provide assurances to cover potential losses, on admission to CCASS.
Monitoring
Share certificates are screened and checked by the Depository upon receipt, against reported defective or lost securities information from share registrars; and then sent to share registrars to re-register in the name of HKSCC Nominees Limited. When deposited shares are found to be defective, cannot be re-registered to HKSCC Nominees Limited or have been reported lost, depositing participants are required to replace the shares immediately and provide collateral equivalent to 130 per cent of their market value when it is pending for replacement as HKSCC considers appropriate.
HKSCC monitors the depositing activities of participants and may consider not granting immediate credit to clearing and custodian participants for material share deposits until complete registration in the name of HKSCC Nominees Limited or proof of ownership is provided or collateral is collected.
Insurance Cover
There is an insurance coverage of HK$1 billion in aggregate combined across all sections in the insurance policy. One of the sections covered include potential losses arising from defective securities. Any remaining losses arising from Clearing Participant failure are covered by the Guarantee Fund as a last resort.