Sebi mulls relaxations in reporting requirements for stock brokers

To boost ease of doing business, markets regulator Sebi on Friday, February 13, proposed additional relaxations to reporting norms for stock brokers, including exempting certain demat accounts held by brokers who are also primary dealers from tagging requirements.

Further, brokers that are banks or primary dealers will be required to report only those bank accounts that are used for stock broking activities, Sebi proposed.

"All demat accounts maintained by stock brokers should be appropriately tagged. Further, this shall not be applicable for the demat account which are used exclusively for activities other than stock broking activities by stock brokers, which are also primary dealers.

"Stock broker which is also bank or primary dealer, shall be required to report to the stock exchanges only those bank accounts that are used for their stock broking activities," Sebi said in its draft circular.

Under the current rules, brokers are required to maintain properly named and tagged bank and demat accounts and report the opening and closure of such accounts to stock exchanges. Certain exemptions were earlier provided to brokers that are banks.

In its draft circular inviting public comments on proposed relaxations, Sebi suggested that the earlier requirement regarding reporting of certain demat accounts by brokers has been deleted.

Instead, depositories will share details of demat accounts opened or closed by stock brokers directly with the concerned stock exchanges, as per a mechanism jointly decided by them.

Stock brokers should continue to ensure that all new bank and demat accounts are appropriately named as per the prescribed nomenclature.

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Details of newly opened bank accounts should be reported to stock exchanges within one week of opening, and closures must also be reported within one week.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has sought public comment till March 6 on the proposals.