Mariana Enevoldsen, Director, Heritage International Fund Managers Limited, discusses the structures available and the regulatory requirements applicable in Guernsey to Funds and Licensees.
2. 2
Contents
The Investments Fund Regime in Guernsey
Types of Funds
Authorised and Registered Funds
Open-Ended and Closed-Ended Funds
Non-Guernsey Schemes
Licensees
Fast Track Regime
Qualifying Investor Funds
Registered Collective Investment Schemes
Licensees
AIFMD
AIFMD’s Dual Regime
Manager Led Product
Future developments
3. 3
The Investment Funds Regime in Guernsey
The Guernsey Financial Services Commission (“GFSC”) regulates
the investment sector pursuant to The Protection of Investors
(Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 1987 as amended (“POI”) and a
number of rules and regulations made thereunder
This means that funds as well as those providing services to funds
(e.g. investment manages, administrators, etc.) are required to be
licensed by the GFSC under POI.
4. 4
The Investment Funds Regime in Guernsey
The applicable rules are:
AIFMD (Marketing) Rules 2013
Authorised Closed-Ended Investment Schemes Rules 2008
Authorised Collective Investment Schemes (Class A) Rules 2008
Collective Investment Schemes (Qualifying Professional Investor
Funds) (Class Q) Rules 1998
Licensees (Conduct of Business and Notification) (Non-Guernsey
Schemes) Rules 1994
Prospectus Rules 2008
Registered Collective Investment Scheme Rules 2015
Authorised Collective Investment Schemes (Class B) Rules, 2013 (The
Class B Rules)
The Licensees (Conduct of Business) Rules 2014
The Licensees (Capital Adequacy) Rules 2010
5. 5
Types of Funds
AUTHORISED FUNDS REGISTERED FUNDS
CLOSED-ENDED OPEN-ENDED
Authorised Closed-
Ended Scheme
Rules
Class A Rules Class B Rules Class Q Rules
CLOSED-ENDED OPEN-ENDED
Registered
Collective
Investment
Schemes Rules
Prospectus Rules
6. 6
Types of Funds
Authorised or Registered
Authorised Funds
Subject to on-going supervision by the GFSC , or
Registered Funds
Not authorised and subject to a lighter touch regime
Guernsey funds, whether authorised or registered can be either:
Open or Closed-Ended
Open-Ended Funds
A vehicle that allows investors to have their holdings redeemed or repurchased at a
price that relates to the value of the underlying assets
Closed-Ended Funds
Investors are not entitled to redeem at a price related to the value of the underlying
assets
7. 7
Types of Funds
Authorised funds
AUTHORISED FUNDS
CLOSED-ENDED OPEN-ENDED
Authorised Closed-
Ended Scheme
Rules
Class A Rules Class B Rules Class Q Rules
8. 8
Types of Funds
Authorised funds
May be open-ended or closed-ended
Applicable Rules
Class A, B or Q Rules
Authorised Closed-Ended Investment Scheme Rules 2008
Funds are authorised and subject to the continuing supervision of
the GFSC
Funds must be established with the objective of spreading risk
Offering Document disclosures in accordance with the applicable
Rules
Provisions for immediate and periodic notifications to the GFSC
10. 10
Types of Funds
Registered funds
May be open-ended or closed-ended
Applicable Rules
Prospectus Rules 2008
Registered Collective Investment Schemes Rules 2015
Funds are not authorised and are subject to a lighter touch
regulatory regime benefiting from a fast track registration process
Funds must be established with the objective of spreading risk
Offering Document disclosures in accordance with the Prospectus
Rules
Provisions for immediate and periodic notifications to the GFSC
May now be offered to the public in Guernsey
11. 11
Types of Funds
Non-Guernsey Schemes
The Licensees (Conduct of Business and Notification) (Non-
Guernsey Schemes) Rules 1994 require Guernsey licensed service
providers wishing to undertake the restricted activities of
management, administration or custody to open-ended funds not
requiring registration or authorisation under POI to provide prior
written notice to the GFSC of such proposal
The GFSC must give specific approval to a local licensee before the
commencement of the service to the scheme
Thereafter, non-Guernsey Schemes are subject to on-going
notification requirements
A two day fast track approval process (subject to warranties) is
available in addition to the traditional approach
12. 12
Types of Funds
Structural considerations
Capital base: closed-ended funds provide permanent capital and they
are not subject to withdrawals
Dealing facilities: the Manager or Administrator must provide dealing
facilities for investors in open ended funds and bears the risks of any
issues arising in the valuation which may result in investor
compensation
Type of asset: illiquid assets such as property are not suitable for
open-ended schemes
Target investor: certain investors may require or prefer regulated
funds
Custodian: Guernsey open-ended funds require the appointment of a
Guernsey custodian
13. 13
Types of Funds
Trends in Guernsey
Closed-ended funds are more prevalent than open ended funds
Most closed ended funds are now launched as registered funds due
to the availability of the Fast Track Regime
In the open-ended sector, Class B Schemes are the most popular
choice
14. 14
Licensees
A licence is required by any person who carry one or more
restricted activities in accordance with Schedule 2 of POI:
- Promotion - Management
- Subscription - Registration
- Dealing - Administration
- Advising - Custody
- Operating an investment exchange
A restricted activity may be undertaken in respect of Category 1
(collective investment schemes) or Category 2 (general securities
and derivatives) controlled investments
Applications may either be traditional or Fast Track (10 business
days with warranties provided by the administrator)
15. 15
Licensees
Funds may be structured with a Guernsey investment
manager/licensee. Usually such licensees engage an investment
advisor from another group entity based outside of Guernsey.
16. 16
Licensees
GFSC Licensing Criteria
Selectivity: the applicant must be ‘fit and proper’ which embraces
honesty, competence and solvency. High rather than minimum
standards are expected
Compatibility: the specific nature of the proposed business should be
compatible with the protection of the reputation of the Bailiwick
Due Diligence Checks: no adverse findings expected in relation to any
parties involved
Structure: the structure of the group and the ultimate beneficial
ownership must be established
Track Record: the applicant should be able to demonstrate an
acceptable track record in the field in which it proposes to operate
Directors: at least one Guernsey resident director will be required
and in some circumstances two resident directors. Directors are
expected to be individuals rather than corporate entities
17. 17
Licensees
GFSC Licensing Criteria (continued)
Four Eyes: the ‘four eyes’ principle must be satisfied by having at
least two competent professionals able to exercise control over the
day to day operation of the Guernsey business. They must be either
executive directors or persons granted executive powers
Delegation: any delegation of responsibilities to existing licensees or
other organisations must be acceptable to the GFSC
Resources: the applicant or its delegate must have adequate human
and physical resources to conduct operations, including record-
keeping, compliance, internal controls and other systems
Financial Resources: the requirements within The Licensees (Capital
Adequacy) Rules 2010 must be satisfied
Domicile: the applicant’s restricted activities should be conducted
substantially within or from within the Bailiwick
Compliance Officer and MLRO: the Compliance Officer may be a
corporate entity with a named compliance officer of its own but the
MLRO must be an individual
18. 18
Fast Track Regimes
Certainty on authorisation timings
3 business days for Qualifying Investor Funds and Registered
Collective Investment Schemes
10 business days for licensees
The are 3 Fast Track Application Regimes available:
Qualifying Investor Funds (“QIF”)
Registered Collective Investment Schemes
Licensees to QIFs and Registered Schemes
19. 19
Fast Track Regimes
Qualifying Investor Funds (“QIFs”)
May be open or closed ended authorised funds (or compartments
sub-funds, cells and share classes of existing funds)
Available only for Qualified Investors
Qualified investors are those deemed able to:
Evaluate the risks and strategies of investing in a QIF
Able to bear the economic consequences, including the possibility of any
loss arising from the investment
Qualified investors can be
Professional Investors
Experienced Investors
Knowledgeable Employee
20. 20
Fast Track Regimes
Registered Collective Investment Schemes
May be open or closed ended registered funds (or compartments
sub-funds, cells and share classes of existing funds)
Administrator makes specific declarations (warranties)
Administrator must have documentary evidence supporting the
warranties given and to produce the same immediately upon request
Administrators may be excluded from participation in the Registered
Collective Investment Schemes self-certification programme
Licensees
Only available for parties seeking to provide management services to
QIFs or Registered Collective Investment Schemes
Administrator makes specific declarations (warranties)
21. 21
Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive
A combination of the Madoff investment scandal and the financial
crisis led to a raft of new regulations being introduced globally
In Europe, the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive
(“AIFMD”) was introduced to bring managers of alternative
investment funds under a harmonised regulatory umbrella in
order to provide:
Certainty of assets
Independent verification of assets
Control of the investment management process
Segregation of asset management from risk management
AIFMD came into force in July 2011 with Member States having 2
years to transpose into national law
22. 22
Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive
AIFMD covers areas such as
Substance
Remuneration
Transparency
Depositary requirements
AIFMD applies to Alternative Investment Fund Managers
(“AIFMs”) established in the EU but also applies to non EU AIFMs
to the extent that they manage or market funds in the EU
Small AIFMs (i.e. when the AIFM manages funds whose aggregate
AUM do not exceed EUR 100m including assets acquired using
leverage or do not exceed EUR 500m where the funds are
unleveraged and don’t give investors a right to redeem within 5
years) may opt into the full requirements of AIFMD
23. 23
Guernsey’s Dual AIFMD Regime
The AIFMD Rules, 2013 have introduced an AIFMD equivalent
regime in Guernsey which can be used by managers who, due to
particular commercial reasons, need to comply with AIFMD
Managers not requiring an AIFMD compliant fund, including those
using National Private Placement Regimes (“NPPRs”) or marketing
outside Europe, can continue to use the existing fund structures
AIFMD originally envisaged the phasing out of NPPRs in favour of
the EU-wide marketing passport for non EU AIFMs
The European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”) will
produce an updated opinion on the functioning of the EU
passport and NPPRs in time for the planned review of AIFMD due
to start in 2017
24. 24
Guernsey’s Dual AIFMD Regime
In July 2015, ESMA issued positive advice to the European
Parliament, Council and Commission on the extension of the third
country passport to Guernsey, Jersey and Switzerland
In its final assessment in July 2016, ESMA issued advice on 12
jurisdictions and included Guernsey in a group of 5 jurisdictions
with unqualified positive assessments
Within 3 months, the Commission should adopt a delegated act
specifying the date when the relevant rules become applicable in
all Member States and the passport can be extended to third
countries
25. 25
Manager Led Product
In April 2016 the GFSC issued a consultation paper on the
Manager Led Product (“MLP”) following discussions with industry
After a short consultation period, the MLP was launched in May
2016
A similar approach has been adopted by other jurisdictions such
as Luxembourg (RAIF) and Malta (NAIF)
26. 26
Manager Led Product
Main features
Aimed at AIFMs seeking to market an AIF into a host country in
Europe under NPPR
Placing of regulations on the AIFM only
Avoids duplication of regulatory requirements over several entities
whilst maintaining reporting requirements
Licensing within 24 hours of open or closed ended funds as well as
general partners or managers formed solely for the purpose of such
funds
Capital adequacy requirements apply only at AIFM level
27. 27
Future developments
The GFSC has stated its intention to develop some further
investment products
A product using the same principles as the MLP but with a
discrete set of rules enabling managers to target markets
excluding Europe
Private funds