Business
REITs set to offer new avenues of growth for property owners and investors
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) and the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) recently conducted a webinar titled “REITs: The way Forward and Opportunities”, focusing on the newly introduced Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Framework. The discussion also highlighted key features of this opportunity that can be a catalyst for multiple benefits for property owners, investors and the economy at large.
The webinar featured capital market and financial services experts including the chairman of CA Sri Lanka Manil Jayesinghe, CSE CEO Rajeeva Bandaranaike, Director Corporate Affairs at the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, CSE Chief Regulatory Officer Renuke Wijayawardhane, Principal for Tax and Regulation at KPMG Sri Lanka Suresh R. I. Perera and Group Director Candor Holdings Ravi Abeysuriya.
Director Corporate Affairs at the SEC Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma during his remarks noted the importance and significance of the introduction and provided the audience with a comprehensive understanding of the framework to issue and manage REITs in Sri Lanka. “Upon the SEC issuing the gazette notification, the Sri Lankan capital market can now formally accept applications for creating REITs not only for commercial & residential properties meeting the criteria but also for infrastructure projects. It’s important to note that Sri Lankan REITs are allowed only as a listed security, mainly to promote transparency and to facilitate retail investor participation. In Sri Lanka the attractiveness of REITs is expected to be further enhanced owing to the tax incentives included in the national budget. Checks and balances are included within the regulation framework to safeguard the interests of our investors whilst facilitating flexibility for the business case of REITs as an investment vehicle.”
It has been made mandatory within the framework that a REIT be managed by a managing company licensed by the SEC and meet the basic criteria stipulated within the listing rules to qualify for a listing on the CSE. The real estate assets owned by the REIT would be required to meet the minimum threshold of Rs. 500 million at the point of listing, it is mandatory that all units issued pursuant to a REIT be listed, a 30% stake to be held by the sponsor or strategic investor which will be locked-in for a period of 06 months and 20% of the units issued be held by a minimum of 100 shareholders are some of the basic requirement that need to be met at the point of listing a REIT.
Sharing remarks at the webinar, the CSE Chief Regulatory Officer Renuke Wijayawardhane highlighted the steps involved with Listing a REIT on the CSE and the overview of the process. To provide a perspective on the regulatory environment upon issuing and listing a REIT, Renuke also elaborated on the numerous compliance requirements that a REIT would be subject to at the point of listing as well as on a continuous basis. “Similar to a listed company, REITs would be subject to compliance requirements in the best interest of all stakeholders involved and with focus on investor protection and maintaining a fair and orderly market.” Commenting on the timeline for issuing a REIT and the approval process, Renuke noted that initial approval for the REIT would have to be obtained through the SEC and the listing application should be forwarded to the CSE within a month of obtaining approval. Renuke also highlighted the process with listing a REIT on the CSE and noted that it would only take around 50 days from the point CSE grants approval for the listing application up to the point of listing the units and be made available for trading on the CSE.
(CSE)
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SLT-Mobitel, the nation’s ICT and Telecommunications Service Provider recently partnered with Spotify, to mark their launch in Sri Lanka. Spotify is a paid premium music streaming app which allows subscribers to listen to music to their hearts content. Both, SLT-Mobitel Post-Paid and Pre-Paid customers will now be able to enjoy Spotify by activating a monthly recurring subscription or one-time subscription plan and access unlimited music streaming and downloading facilities.
The subscription charges will get added to the user’s customary billing, where payment will be deducted in real time. Starting from the payment date, the user will be able to access Spotify and download their favourite songs, for the next 30 days. Users who sign up for their first monthly subscription will receive an additional one month, courtesy of Spotify. The one-month subscription plan is not applicable with one-time subscription plans. SLT-Mobitel data rates, depending on the user’s respective broadband charges, will apply.
Spotify also has some exciting features that will provide SLT-Mobitel customers with the opportunity to listen to ad-free music, access millions of uninterrupted music under one platform, play any song they like, anywhere they go, and also be able to enjoy their music offline.
SLT-Mobitel customers can select their preferred premium package under four categories; Individual, Duo, Family, Student. Each category has recurring and non-recurring plans. After one month of free streaming, the package will activate once the offer period terminates. While both, the Individual and Student premiums are limited to one account user, the Duo package offers two accounts and the Family premium is accessible through six accounts. To view Spotify plans, users can log on to https://spoti.fi/3aLWvce
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by Sanath Nanayakkare
Anyone conversant with the elements of a political economy would know that Sri Lanka is using its ‘sovereign power’ to manage the different dynamics of the economy in a sustainable manner, Professor W. D Lakshman Governor of the Central Bank said on Wednesday.
“Some critics are saying that we adopt a so-called modern monetary theory. That’s not the case. In fact, Sri Lanka is using its sovereign power in a number of economic aspects to honour its external debt repayment commitments as well as to reduce its debt burden in the medium term as well as achieve resilient growth in the medium to long term, he said.
“We make policy decisions to boost our gross foreign reserves, meet our external debt servicing, to facilitate monetary expansion, to boost our GDP growth, to strengthen our current account balance and manage our domestic and external economic variables in a sustainable manner. This is not a modern monetary theory. This is an age-old tool used by central banks around the world when the circumstances demand it, he said.
“Certain trade-offs will be necessary when dealing with an economy which has a big fiscal gap to bridge. There are efforts to push Sri Lanka towards the IMF again which would in turn have influence on our policymaking. We have taken policy measures to stabilize the economy and we have adequate reserve levels to meet our debt repayments. Meanwhile, we are in negotiations with overseas central banks and multilateral agencies to further boost our reserve level and it would materialise within a matter of weeks,” he noted.
“One of the tools the Central Bank has introduced is in respect of repatriation of export proceeds into Sri Lanka and conversion of such proceeds into Sri Lankan rupees in order to strengthen the foreign exchange situation of the country,” he said.
The Governor made these remarks while delivering the keynote speech at a webinar organised by the Veemansa Initiative led by its Managing Director Luxman Siriwardene – the former Executive Director of Pathfinder Foundation.
The webinar revolved round the topic ‘External debt situation in Sri Lanka: Are we heading for a resolution or crisis?’
Professor Sirimal Abeyratne, Prof. Sumanasiri Liyanage, Dr. Nishan de Mel and Dr. Ravi Liyanage were the other speakers on the panel.
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By Hiran H.Senewiratne
CSE produced signs of a rebound yesterday with both indices closing positive, though turnover remained low. Central Bank Governor W.D Lakshman’s recent statement on managing foreign reserves gave some boost to the market yesterday, stock market analysts said.
The index experienced a zigzag movement within the early hours of trading; thereafter, it recorded a slight up-trend as it reached its intraday high of 7,439. Later, the market witnessed a down-trend at mid-day, followed by a sideways movement and closed at 7,372, gaining 43 points during the month of February, market sources said.
It is said the banking sector dominated turnover with a contribution of considerable parcel trades in Sampath Bank, Commercial Bank and HNB.
Further, the Commercial Bank’s impressive quarterly results during the recent turbulent period also built investor confidence. Commercial Bank was able to register a18 percent net interest income when other banks were reporting a decline. Its share price increased by Rs. 3 or 3.5 percent. On the previous day, its shares started trading at Rs. 85 and at the end of the day they moved up to Rs. 88. Due to the positive growth results, the bank announced a Rs. 4.40 dividend per share, plus a Rs. 2 script divergent for every share.
Further, Sampath Bank shares also appreciated in both crossing and retail. In crossings its shares appreciated by Rs. 1.At the end of the day they moved up to Rs. 154.50. In the retail market, its shares moved up by Rs. 2 or 1.3 percent. Previously, its shares fetched Rs. 154 and at the end of yesterday they moved up to Rs. 156.
Amid those developments, both indices moved upwards. The All Share Price Index went up by 104.48 points and S and P SL20 rose by 67.78 points. Turnover stood at Rs. 3 billion with four crossings. Those crossings were reported in Sampath Bank, where 3.9 million shares crossed for Rs. 602.2 million, its share price being Rs. 154.50, HNB 375,000 shares crossed for Rs. 39.4 million, its shares traded at Rs. 105, Pan Asia Power 9.5 million shares crossed for Rs. 33.2 million, its shares traded at Rs. 3.50 and Access Engineering 1.2 million shares crossed for Rs. 28.2 million; its shares traded at Rs. 24.
In the retail market top five companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were, Expolanka Rs. 450 million (10 million shares traded), JKH Rs. 205 million (1.3 million shares traded), Browns Investments Rs. 199 million (34.9 million shares traded), Sampath Bank Rs. 191 million (1.2 million shares traded) and Dipped Products Rs. 137.7 million (2.8 million shares traded). During the day 101 million share volumes changed hands in 18046 transactions.
During the day, Expolanka, the biggest contributor to the turnover, saw its share price appreciating by Rs. 6.20 or 15 percent. Its share price quoted on the previous day was Rs. 41 and at the end of trading yesterday it moved up to Rs. 47.
Sri Lanka’s rupee quoted wider at 193.50/195.50 levels to the US dollar in the spot next market on Thursday while bond yields remained unchanged, dealers said. The rupee last closed in the spot market at 194.50/195.00 to the dollar on Wednesday.
