Chapter 7

Due Diligence Guidelines –

Knowing the Listing Applicant and its Management

Appendix I

Paragraphs 41-47 of Part A of Appendix 1 to the Listing Rules

Information about the issuer’s management

41. (1) The full name, residential or business address of every director and senior manager or proposed director and senior manager. In addition, brief biographical details in respect of the directors, proposed directors, senior managers and proposed senior managers of the issuer shall be provided. Such details will include name, age, positions held with the issuer and other members of the issuer’s group, length of service with the issuer and the group, relevant management expertise and experience including current and past directorships in other listed public companies in the last three years, and such other information of which shareholders should be aware, pertaining to the ability or integrity of such persons. As regards the biographical details in respect of each director, proposed director, supervisor and proposed supervisor, such details must not be less than those required to be disclosed in an announcement relating to the appointment or re-designation of the director or supervisor pursuant to rule 13.51(2).

(2) Where the issuer is to be listed under rule 8.05(3) and wishes to apply for a waiver of the trading record period requirement, or where the issuer is an infrastructure company and wishes to apply for a waiver of the profit or other financial standards requirement, the relevant management expertise and experience of such persons described in paragraph 41(1) of at least three years in the line of business and industry of the issuer.

(3) Where any of the directors or senior managers are related, having with any other director or senior manager any one of the relationships set out below, that fact should be stated. The relationships are spouse; any person cohabiting with the director or senior manager as a spouse; and any relative meaning a child or step-child regardless of age, a parent or step-parent, a brother, sister, step-brother or a stepsister, a mother-in-law, a father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law.

(4) Where any director or proposed director is a director or employee of a company which has an interest or short position in the shares and underlying shares of the issuer which would fall to be disclosed to the issuer under the provisions of Divisions 2 and 3 of Part XV of the Securities and Futures Ordinance, that fact shall be stated.

(5) It is the responsibility of the directors of the issuer to determine which individual or individuals constitute senior management. Senior management may include directors of subsidiaries and heads of divisions, departments or other operating units within the group as senior management as, in the opinion of the issuer’s directors, is appropriate.

(6) Where the issuer is a Mineral Company and wishes to apply for a waiver of the profit or other financial standards requirements under rule 18.04, the relevant management expertise and experience of such persons described in paragraph 41(1) of at least five years relevant to the exploration and/or extraction activity that the Mineral Company is pursuing.

42. The full name and professional qualification, if any, of the secretary of the issuer.

43. The situation of the registered office and, if different, the head office and transfer office.

44. Details of any share schemes to which Chapter 17 applies.

45. (1) A statement showing the interests and short positions of each director and chief executive of the issuer in the shares, underlying shares and debentures of the issuer or any associated corporation (within the meaning of Part XV of the Securities and Futures Ordinance) which:—

(a) will have to be notified to the issuer and the Exchange pursuant to Divisions 7 and 8 of Part XV of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (including interests and short positions which he is taken or deemed to have under such provisions of Securities and Futures Ordinance) once the issuer’s securities are listed; or

(b) will be required, pursuant to section 352 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance, to be entered in the register referred to therein, once the issuer’s securities are listed; or

(c) will be required, pursuant to the Model Code for Securities Transactions by Directors of Listed Companies to be notified to the issuer and the Exchange once the issuer’s securities are listed;

or an appropriate negative statement. Provided that the Exchange may agree in its sole discretion that compliance with this paragraph may be modified or waived in respect of any associated corporation, if in the opinion of the Exchange, the number of associated companies in respect of which each director and chief executive is taken or deemed to have an interest or short position under Part XV of the Securities and Futures Ordinance is such that compliance with this paragraph would result in particulars being given which are not material in the context of the group and are excessive in length.

(1A) A statement required by sub-paragraph 45(1) must specify the company in which the interests or short positions are held, the class to which those securities belong and the number of such securities held. The statement need not disclose:

(a) the interests of a director in the shares of the listed issuer or any of its subsidiaries if such interest is held solely in a non-beneficial capacity and is for the purpose of holding the requisite qualifying shares;

(b) the non-beneficial interests of directors in the shares of any subsidiary of the listed issuer in so far as that interest comprises the holding of shares subject to the terms of a written, valid and legally enforceable declaration of trust in favour of the parent company of that subsidiary or the listed issuer and such interest is held solely for the purpose of ensuring that the relevant subsidiary has more than one member;

Note: Where interests in securities arising from the holding of such securities as qualifying shares are not disclosed pursuant to the exception provided in this paragraph, a general statement should nevertheless be made to indicate that the directors hold qualifying shares.

(2) A statement showing the name, so far as is known to any director or chief executive of the issuer, of each person, other than a director or chief executive of the issuer, who has an interest or short position in the shares and underlying shares of the issuer which would fall to be disclosed to the issuer under the provisions of Divisions 2 and 3 of Part XV of the Securities and Futures Ordinance, or, who is, directly or indirectly, interested in ten per cent. or more of the nominal value of any class of share capital carrying rights to vote in all circumstances at general meetings of any other member of the group and the amount of each of such person’s interest in such securities, together with particulars of any options in respect of such capital, or, if there are no such interests or short positions, an appropriate negative statement.

46. (1) Particulars of directors’ existing or proposed service contracts with any member of the group (excluding contracts expiring or determinable by the employer within one year without payment of compensation (other than statutory compensation)), or an appropriate negative statement.

(2) The aggregate of the remuneration paid and benefits in kind granted to the directors of the issuer by any member of the group in respect of the last completed financial year under any description whatsoever.

(3) An estimate of the aggregate remuneration payable to, and benefits in kind receivable by, the directors or any proposed directors of the issuer by any member of the group in respect of the current financial year under the arrangements in force at the date of the listing document.

47. (1) Full particulars of the nature and extent of the interest, direct or indirect, if any, of every director or proposed director or expert (as named in the listing document), in the promotion of, or in any assets which have been, within the two years immediately preceding the issue of the listing document, acquired or disposed of by or leased to, any member of the group, or are proposed to be acquired or disposed of by or leased to any member of the group, including:—

(a) the consideration passing to or from any member of the group; and

(b) short particulars of all transactions relating to any such assets which have taken place within such period or which are to take place, or an appropriate negative statement.

(2) Full particulars of any contract or arrangement subsisting at the date of the listing document in which a director of the issuer is materially interested and which is significant in relation to the business of the group, or an appropriate negative statement.

Paragraph 28(1)(b) of Part A of Appendix 1 to the Listing Rules

General information about the group’s activities

28.1 (b) additional information in respect of major customers (meaning, other than in relation to consumer goods or services, the ultimate customer, and in relation to consumer goods or services the ultimate wholesaler or retailer as the case may be) and suppliers (meaning the ultimate supplier of items which are not of a capital nature) as follows:—

(i) a statement of the percentage of purchases attributable to the group’s largest supplier;

(ii) a statement of the percentage of purchases attributable to the group’s 5 largest suppliers combined;

(iii) a statement of the percentage of turnover or sales attributable to the group’s largest customer;

(iv) a statement of the percentage of turnover or sales attributable to the group’s 5 largest customers combined;

(v) a statement of the interests of any of the directors; their associates; or any shareholder (which to the knowledge of the directors owns more than 5% of the issuers’ share capital) in the suppliers or customers disclosed under (i) to (iv) above or if there are no such interests a statement to that effect;

(vi) in the event that the percentage which would fall to be disclosed under (ii) above is less than 30, a statement of that fact shall be given and the information required in (i), (ii) and (v) (in respect of suppliers) may be omitted; and

(vii) in the event that the percentage which would fall to be disclosed under (iv) above is less than 30, a statement of that fact shall be given and the information required in (iii), (iv) and (v) (in respect of customers) may be omitted.

Sub-paragraph 28(1)(b) applies to all issuers whose businesses comprise, in whole or in part, the supply of goods or services of whatever nature, and in the case of service references to customers includes the clients of such issuers.

In relation to consumer goods, references to customers are to the ultimate wholesaler or retailer, except when the issuer’s business incorporates the wholesaling or retailing operation. In all other cases references to customers are to ultimate customer. References to suppliers are primarily to those who provide goods or services which are specific to an issuer’s business and which are required on a regular basis to enable the issuer to continue to supply or service its customers. Suppliers of goods and services which are freely available from a range of suppliers at similar prices or which are otherwise freely available (such as utilities) are excluded. In particular, it is recognised that an obligation on issuers who are providers of financial services (such as banks and insurance companies) to give information about suppliers would be of limited or no value, and there is therefore no disclosure requirement in respect of suppliers to such issuers.

The Exchange must be consulted if there is any doubt about the application of sub-paragraph 28(1)(b).

Disclaimer

HKCFEF Limited and the contributing law firms, accountants and sponsors are not offering these due diligence guidelines as legal, financial or professional advice or services and they should not be relied upon as such. These due diligence guidelines should not be used as a sole basis for any decision, action or inaction and are not meant to serve as a substitute for the advice of qualified professionals. See here for the full terms and conditions.

Information about Issuers Management

Biographical Details of Issuers Management

Knowing the Listing Applicant and its Management

Model Code for Securities Transactions by Directors of Listed Companies

Information About Major Customers In Due Diligence Process

Interests of a Director

Biographical details of a Director

Hong Kong Listing Rule 8.05(3)

Management Expertise And Experience

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