Canadian securities regulators focus on areas for reducing regulatory burden for investment funds

CSA Securities

Toronto – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) today published CSA Staff Notice 81-329 (pdf - 51 KB)This link will open in a new windowUpdated on May 24, 2018Regulatory Burden Reducing Regulatory Burden for Investment Fund Issuers, which outlines the CSA’s plan to pursue four initiatives in the near-term that would remove redundancies and streamline disclosure requirements for investment fund issuers.

“Reviewing regulatory burden for investment fund issuers is a key priority for our 2016-2019 Business Plan,” said Louis Morisset, CSA Chair and President and CEO of the Autorité des marchés financiers. “We have identified areas to lessen regulatory burden for investment funds, while maintaining investor protection and the efficient functioning of the capital markets.”

CSA staff will undertake initiatives to codify exemptive relief that is routinely granted, and to use web-based technology to provide certain information about investment funds. Other areas of focus include the removal of redundant information in select disclosure documents and minimizing the filing of documents that may contain duplicative information, such as Personal Information Forms. The CSA anticipates publishing proposed rule amendments for comment, as appropriate, to address these initiatives by March 2019.

The proposed four initiatives are part of the CSA Rationalization of Investment Fund Disclosure project, which was established in 2017. This project identifies opportunities for reducing regulatory burden for investment fund issuers. To identify the focus areas for the project, staff conducted a comprehensive review of the current investment fund disclosure regime. Other efforts that helped inform the proposals included evaluating disclosure elements borrowed from the non-investment fund reporting issuer regime, gathering information on relevant regulatory reforms conducted by other regulators internationally, and receiving feedback from stakeholders.

The notice can be found on the websites of CSA members. This link will open in a new window

The CSA, the council of securities regulators of Canada’s provinces and territories, coordinates and harmonizes regulation for the Canadian capital markets.

– 30 –

For more information:

CSA member name

Point of contact

Phone number

Autorité des marchés financiers

Sylvain Théberge

514-940-2176

Alberta Securities Commission

Hilary McMeekin

403-592-8186

British Columbia Securities Commission

Alison Walker 

604-899-6713

Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan

Shannon McMillan

306-798-4160

Financial and Consumer Services Commission, New Brunswick

Erin King

506-643-7045

Government of Prince Edward Island, Superintendent of Securities

Steve Dowling

902-368-4550

Manitoba Securities Commission

Jason (Jay) Booth

204-945-1660

Nova Scotia Securities Commission

David Harrison

902-424-8586

Nunavut Securities Office

Jeff Mason

867-975-6591

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Newfoundland and Labrador

Craig Whalen

709-729-5661

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Northwest Territories

Tom Hall

867-767-9305

Office of the Yukon Superintendent of Securities

Rhonda Horte

867-667-5466

Ontario Securities Commission

Kristen Rose

416-593-2336