Bangkok, 14 July 2021 – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seeking public comments on the proposed regulations for the disclosure standards of Sustainable and Responsible Investing fund (SRI Fund) aiming to enhance disclosure on the ESG-related features of mutual funds to assist investors’ understanding and assessment of whether the mutual funds meet their investment needs, which in line with the international standards.
At present, the
interest in mutual funds with features related to sustainability factors such
as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) has gained traction globally
in the past few years. The main driving force has been an increasing awareness
among investors, both retail and institutional, of ESG-related matters.
Similarly, in Thailand, there are a number of mutual funds with the investment
objectives of sustainability development. Nevertheless, the disclosure on the
ESG-related features of these mutual funds differ markedly and most of them do
not explicitly disclose how the asset managers incorporate sustainability
factors in their investment process. Consequently, investors may not be able to
compare between mutual funds with similar sustainability mandates and, as a
result, may not be able to make informed investment decisions.
The SEC is therefore
seeking public comments on the proposed regulations for the disclosure
standards of SRI Fund which will be used in the consideration for the issuance of SRI Fund regulations.
The consultation paper is
available at https://www.sec.or.th/TH/Pages/PB_Detail.aspx?SECID=729. Stakeholders and interested parties are
welcome to send comments or suggestions via the website or email: sireetho@sec.or.th, sasanee@sec.or.th or pattaraporn@sec.or.th. The public hearing will end on 16 August 2021.
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