Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has amended mutual funds rules, which would come into effect from January 15, 2023.
The capital market watchdog has notified new rules for mutual funds and asset management companies (AMCs), which relate to the transfer of dividend and redemption proceeds to mutual fund unitholders on November 17, 2022.
As per the new rule, every mutual fund and asset management company is required to transfer to the unitholders the dividend payments and the redemption, or repurchase proceeds within a period that the regulator specifies. In the eventuality of a failure, the AMC is liable to pay interest to the unitholders for the period of this particular delay.
In addition, the physical despatch of redemption or repurchase proceeds or dividend payments is to be undertaken in exceptional circumstances alone.
If any AMC undertakes such an activity, they would be required to maintain records stating reasons for all such physical despatches.
Furthermore, the market regulator has introduced amendments to Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) rules that would prescribe the timeline for declaring the first close of a scheme of an AIF. The commitment provided by the sponsor or manager at the time of declaration of the first close, to the extent to meet the aforesaid minimum corpus requirement, shall not be reduced, withdrawn, or transferred, after the first close.
Rajiv is an independent editorial consultant for the last decade. Prior to this, he worked as a full-time journalist associated with various prominent print media houses. In his spare time, he loves to paint on canvas.