Fund for Investor Education and the Promotion of Good Governance - Nine new projects selected

Organization

Montréal – The President and CEO of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), Jean St-Gelais, is pleased to announce the new projects that have been selected for financial support from the Fund for Investor Education and the Promotion of Good Governance (the “Fund ”).

As at November 30, 2006, a total of 23 projects had been submitted to the AMF. Further to an assessment by the members of the Fund’s evaluation committee and by 19 external evaluators, the following nine projects, which will share almost $450,000, were selected:

  • Research carried out by Professor Raymonde Crête (Laval University) to assess the penalty system for misconduct in the financial services sector.
  • Continuation of the “L’École de l’argent” campaign launched by the Carrefour jeunesse emploi de l’Outaouais. The campaign, which is intended for young adults, seeks to develop an entrepreneurial spirit, promote the acquisition of financial skills and raise awareness about entrepreneurship.
  • Project entitled “La Finance, Ça nous concerne”, carried out by Entraide bénévole Kouzin Kouzin du Montréal-Métropolitain. The project consists of an educational campaign intended to set up a training workshop on financial products, explain various financial concepts in plain language and promote micro-credit.
  • Campaign launched by the Union des consommateurs for the purpose of researching, analyzing and disseminating information on the rights of consumers with respect to registered education savings plans.
  • Training project set up by Professor Jean-Marc Suret (Laval University) for the purpose of creating and disseminating informational documents regarding the small-cap market.
  • Research carried out by Professor Lorne Nelson Switzer (Concordia-HEC) on the impact of the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act on large and small Canadian businesses.
  • Campaign launched by the Coalition des associations des consommateurs du Québec (CACQ) to raise awareness among youth about the dangers of borrowing and indebtedness.
  • Investor training programs developed by the Fédération québécoise des coopératives en animation et en formation financière (l’ACTIF).
  • Research carried out by Professor Marie J. Lachance (Laval University) to determine the skills and knowledge of young adults in matters pertaining to personal finance.

“We are proud to be associated with these new projects, which will contribute to supporting, educating and protecting Québec consumers of financial products and services. These partnerships fit squarely within one of the AMF’s fundamental missions, which is to assist consumers by providing them with easy access to quality information through various channels,” stated Jean St-Gelais.

The Fund’s mandate is to support training and research initiatives within three areas of intervention: investor protection, investor education and the promotion of good governance. Since its creation in May 2004, the Fund has distributed nearly $4 million toward 34 projects. A complete list of those projects, as well as their description, is available on the AMF website under the heading : Fund for Investor Education and the Promotion of Good Governance.

The Fund’s next call for projects will take place on October 31, 2007.

The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) is the regulatory and oversight body for Québec’s financial sector.

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