India approves exchange-traded funds for gold

From Press Trust of India
via NewKerala.com
Tuesday, January 16, 2007

http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=80212

MUMBAI, Jan. 15 -- Market regulator SEBI today gave a go-ahead to mutual funds for floating gold exchange-traded funds (GETF), thus enabling the investors to trade in gold as shares in the stock market.

In a notification, SEBI said: "The gold held by a gold exchange-traded fund scheme shall be valued at the AM fixing price of London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) in US dollars per troy ounce for gold having a fineness of 995.0 parts per thousand." The Custodian of Securities Act has also been amended, enabling custodians of the proposed gold funds to outsource safekeeping of bullion to other agencies.

But SEBI made it clear the custodians would be responsible to its clients (mutual funds) for safekeeping of the gold kept with other person, including any risks.

"This is an encouraging development. Common investors will be able to buy and sell gold in small amount at leading bourses," Association of Mututal Funds of India (AMFI) Chairman A P Kurian.

This would help in diversifying investment and risk by the investors, he added.

UTI MF and Benchmark have already submitted draft offers for GETF and are awaiting SEBI's nod to launch these funds.

The GETF will track the price of gold. Its appointed custodians will buy and sell gold bullion as investors look at positions in the ETF.

* * *

Join GATA
at the
2007 Vancouver Resource Investment Conference
Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre
Sunday and Monday, January 21 and 22, 2007

http://www.cambridgeconferences.com/ch_jan2007.html

Admission is free for those who register in advance. The conference has arranged discount rates at the Pan Pacific Hotel adjacent to the convention center.

GATA will hold a reception at the conclusion of the conference: from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, January 22, in the Cypress Suite at the Pan Pacific, 999 Canada Place. The Cypress Suite is on the hotel's restaurant level, one floor above the lobby. The reception will offer snacks, a cash bar, and some brief remarks by GATA's delegates to the conference, including Chairman Bill Murphy. There will be no admission charge for the reception but so that we might prepare better, if you plan to attend please let Secretary/Treasurer Chris Powell know by e-mail at CPowell@GATA.org.

* * *

Help Keep GATA Going

GATA is a civil rights and educational organization based in the United States and tax-exempt under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Its e-mail dispatches are free, and you can subscribe at www.GATA.org. GATA is grateful for financial contributions, which are federally tax-deductible in the United States.