Saskatchewan securities division releases registration and prospectus exemption for qualified persons entering into OTC derivatives
The Saskatchewan Securities Act, 1988 (the Saskatchewan Act) includes within its definition of "security" a futures contract or option that is not an exchange contract. Given the wording of the definition, there has been uncertainty as to whether OTC forwards and other OTC derivatives transactions would fall within this category and consequently be subject to the registration and prospectus requirements of the Saskatchewan Act. The issue has now been addressed by the Saskatchewan Financial Services Commission, Securities Division. On November 26, 2009, it issued General Order 91-907 exempting over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives trading among qualified parties from the registration and prospectus requirements under the Saskatchewan Act. The Companion Policy to the General Order states that the Act's definition of "security" includes futures contracts and options that are not exchange contracts and, thus, parties that currently enter into futures contracts or options are subject to the registration and prospectus requirements of the Saskatchewan Act.
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