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Amendments

Title：

Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation Rules Governing Review of Securities Listings  CH

Amended Date： 2024.03.11 (Articles 4, 28-1, 40 amended,English version coming soon)
Current English version amended on 2024.01.12 
Categories： Primary Market > Review
Article Content Chapter Content Search Article No. Search Legal Basis Subordinate Legislation Amended Article Attachment Legislative History Chinese

Title： Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation Rules Governing Review of Securities Listings(2012.05.15)
Date：
Article 3     Where the listing of securities is approved, the TWSE shall enter into an Agreement for Listing with the entity which issues the securities and shall submit the Agreement for Listing to the Competent Authority for recordation, in accordance with Article 141 of the Securities and Exchange Act.
Article 9     Notwithstanding the fact that an issuing company applying for the listing of its stock meets the listing criteria set forth in these Rules, the TWSE may disagree to its listing if the issuing company has any of the events listed below, except for any of those in subparagraphs 8, 9, or 10 under which the TWSE shall disagree to its listing, and is deemed by the TWSE to be inappropriate for listing:
  1. 1. It has any of the events set forth in Article 156, paragraph 1, subparagraphs 1 and 2 of the Securities and Exchange Act, or has made misrepresentation or false statement or conducted unlawful activities that may affect the price of its securities after listing thereof, and will cause fear that the market order may be affected or the public interests may be harmed.
  2. 2. Its financial or business affairs are not independent from other person(s).
  3. 3. It has had any material labor dispute or environmental pollution sufficient to affect its normal financial and business operations, and has not made improvement.
  4. 4. It has been discovered any material non-arms-length transaction and has not made improvement.
  5. 5. After the capital increase through a new share issue which has been effected or is being effected in the year in which it applies for listing is included in the amount of paid-in capital in its final account for the respective year, it does not meet the listing criteria.
  6. 6. It has failed to effectively implement its written accounting system, internal control system, or internal audit system, or has failed to prepare financial reports in accordance with relevant laws and regulations and generally accepted accounting principles, and the event of this failure is considered as material.
  7. 7. There has been serious deterioration in its business operation.
  8. 8. Where the applicant company conducted any activities in violation of the principle of good faith in the most recent 5 years, or where its directors, supervisors, general manager or de facto responsible person violated the same principle in the most recent 3 years.
  9. 9. If an applicant company has less than five members on its board of directors, or less than two independent directors; or less than three supervisors; or if its board of directors or supervisors are unable to independently exercise their functions; or if it has not appointed the remuneration committee pursuant to Article 14-6 of the Securities and Exchange Act and related provisions. However, if pursuant to Article 14-4 of the Securities and Exchange Act an audit committee has been established in lieu of supervisors, the requirements of this subparagraph regarding supervisors shall not apply. Additionally, the elected independent directors must be persons that are not juristic persons or representatives thereof under Article 27 of the Company Act, and at least one of them must be a professional in accounting or finance.
  10. 10. Where the applicant company has been registered for trading as an emerging stock on the GTSM in the fiscal year of the listing application and the most recent fiscal year thereto, and there has been, from the GTSM registration date onward, any trading of stock issued by the applicant company by any incumbent director, supervisor, or shareholder holding 10 percent or greater of its total issued shares other than on the emerging stock market; provided, this restriction shall not apply where such trading is for purposes of underwriting under Article 11 of these Rules or for other legitimate reason.
  11. 11. Where the applicant company is the existing or newly established company accepting transfer of business or assets due to a demerger of a TWSE (or GTSM) listed company, and transfers of equity conducted by the TWSE (or GTSM) listed company in the most recent 3 years for purposes of reducing its shareholding ratio in the applicant company have damaged shareholders' equity.
  12. 12. Where the listing is considered by the TWSE as inappropriate due to its scope of business, nature or special circumstances.
        Subparagraph 2 of the immediately preceding paragraph shall not apply to companies applying for listing which are government-owned enterprises.
    The ending date of the applicable periods referred to in various subparagraphs of paragraph 1 of this Article shall be the day immediately before the date on which the Agreement for Listing takes effect.
Article 12     An issuing company applying for the listing of its stock shall, after its Agreement for Listing has taken effect, offer its stock to the public in accordance with the provisions of the preceding article. In case the stock applied for listing have not been listed within 3 months after the date of the aforesaid notice given by the TWSE, the TWSE shall after cancel the said Agreement for Listing, and report to the Competent Authority for recordation. However, if an application for extension is filed by the issuing company with adequate cause, the said deadline may be extended for 3 additional months after such application has been approved by the TWSE, provided that such extension shall be limited to one only, and the extension shall be reported to the Competent Authority for Recordation.
Article 25     The TWSE shall publicly announce the listing of government bonds issued by foreign governments and bonds issued by international organizations, upon being notified by the Competent Authority.
    Where foreign issuers apply for the listing of bonds and the underlying pricing of which is computed in New Taiwan Dollars or foreign currency, the TWSE may issue documentation evidencing approval of the listing thereof if they meet the criteria as set out by the Competent Authority.
    Where the issuer has obtained a certificate from the TWSE approving its application for listing bonds under the preceding paragraph, the TWSE will, after a filing for effective registration of the issuance of such bonds has been made with the Competent Authority and the issuance is completed, publicly announce the listing thereof, and report the Agreement for Listing Foreign Bonds to the Competent Authority for recordation.
Article 26     Approval will be granted for the application submitted by a foreign issuer or its depositary institution for listing of Taiwan depositary receipts proposed to be issued if the application meets the following requirements:
  1. 1. Units of Taiwan depositary receipts to be listed: 20 million units or more or market value of NT$300 million or more; provided that the listed units may not exceed 50 percent of the total number of shares issued by the foreign issuer.
  2. 2. The stock, or the securities representing the stock, issued by the foreign issuer in accordance with the laws of its country of registration are already listed and traded on the main board of one of the overseas securities markets approved by the Competent Authority before the listing of the Taiwan depositary receipts under the listing application.
  3. 3. Shareholders' equity: At the time of application for listing, the shareholders' equity stated on the financial report audited and certified by a Certified Public Accountant for the most recent period shall not be less than the equivalent of NT$600 million.
  4. 4. Profitability: It does not have accumulated deficit in the most recent one (1) fiscal year and meets one of the following criteria:
    1. (1) The ratio of income before tax to shareholder's equity in the final accounting for the most recent 1 year is 6 percent or higher.
    2. (2) The ratio of income before tax to shareholder's equity in the final accounting for each of the past 2 fiscal years is 3 percent or higher, or the average is 3 percent or higher, and the profitability in the most recent fiscal year is better year-on-year than in the preceding year.
    3. (3) The income before tax for each of the most recent 2 years shall be NT$250 million or more.
  5. 5. Dispersion of shareholdings: At the time of proposed listing, the number of holders of the Taiwan depositary receipts in the Republic of China is not less than 1,000 persons, and the total number of units held by holders other than insiders of the foreign issuer and juristic persons of which such insiders own over 50 percent of the shareholding is not less than 20 percent of the total units issued or is 10 million units or more.
  6. 6. There shall be no restriction on transfer of stock, or securities representing such stock, represented by Taiwan depositary receipts.
  7. 7. The rights and obligations of the holders of stock, or securities representing such stock, represented by Taiwan depositary receipts shall be identical with those of other stock, or securities representing such stock, of the same class issued at the same time.
  8. 8. There is no abnormal fluctuation in the price of the stock represented by the Taiwan depositary receipts during the 3 months before the listing agreement for Taiwan depositary receipts takes effect.
  9. 9. The depositary institution has not, within the past year, been sanctioned by the TWSE for any error in information reporting, where the circumstances were serious.
        The financial information referred to in subparagraphs 3 and 4 of the preceding paragraph will be examined [by the TWSE] based on the consolidated report or the consolidated financial statement prepared by the said foreign issuer in accordance with the laws and regulations of its country of registration or the country of listing and the audit opinion issued by a certified public accountant in the Republic of China stating the differences between the accounting principles applicable in the Republic of China and the accounting principles applicable in the country of registration or the country of listing of the said foreign issuer and the impact of such differences on such financial reports.
        Unless otherwise prescribed by the Competent Authority, after the listing agreement with respect to the application for listing of Taiwan Depositary Receipts has taken effect, the foreign issuer shall conduct a public sale pursuant to regulations from the date of the TWSE's written notification. If the Taiwan Depositary Receipts for which the foreign issuer applied for listing are not listed for trading within 3 months from the date of the TWSE's written notification, the TWSE shall void the listing agreement, and report to the Competent Authority for recordation. Notwithstanding, if the foreign issuer, with legitimate reason, applies for an extension, then after the TWSE approves such extension, the foreign issuer may be granted a one-time only 3-month extension, which shall be reported to the Competent Authority for recordation.
    The foreign issuer shall undertake in writing that, after listing, it will establish a reporting system with the TWSE for automatic synchronous reporting of material information.
Article 27     Approval will be granted for an application by a foreign issuer for a secondary listing of stock issued by that foreign issuer ("a TWSE secondary listing") if the requirements listed below are met:
  1. 1. Number of shares to be listed: 20 million shares or more, or the market price of the shares to be listed is NT$300 million or more; provided that the number of shares may not exceed 50 percent of the total number of shares issued by the foreign issuer.
  2. 2. The registered shares issued by the foreign issuer in accordance with the laws of its country of registration are already listed and traded on the main board of one of the overseas securities markets approved by the Competent Authority before the listing of the stocks under the listing application.
  3. 3. Shareholders' equity: At the time of application for listing, the shareholders' equity stated on the financial report audited and certified by a Certified Public Accountant for the most recent period shall be the equivalent of NT$600 million or more.
  4. 4. Profitability: It does not have accumulative loss for the most recent one (1) fiscal year and meets one of the following criteria:
    1. (1) The income before tax for the most recent one year represents not less than 6 percent of the shareholders' equity as shown in its final accounts; or
    2. (2) The ratio of income before tax to shareholder's equity in the final accounting for each of the past 2 fiscal years is 3 percent or higher, or the average is 3 percent or higher, and the profitability in the most recent fiscal year is better year-on-year than in the preceding year.
    3. (3) The income before tax for the most recent 2 years shall be NT$250 million or more.
  5. 5. Dispersion of shareholdings: At the time of the proposed listing, the number of registered shareholders in the Republic of China is not less than 1,000 persons, and the total number of shares held by shareholders other than insiders of the foreign issuer and juristic persons of which such insiders own over 50 percent of the shareholding is 20 percent or more of the total number of issued shares or is 10 million shares or more.
  6. 6. The stock under the application for listing shall be the same class of stock listed and traded on the overseas securities market, and the rights and obligations of the holders of stock shall be identical with those of the same class of stock listed and traded on the other securities market, and local holders of the stock shall not be restricted from selling the stock in which they have invested on the overseas securities market.
  7. 7. During the 3 months before the listing agreement for the foreign stock takes effect, there is no abnormal fluctuation in the price of the stock that is already listed and traded on the overseas securities market.
        The provisions of Article 26, paragraph 2 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the financial reports referred to in subparagraphs 3 and 4 of the immediately preceding paragraph.
        After the listing agreement with respect to the foreign issuer's application for listing of shares has taken effect, the foreign issuer shall conduct a public sale pursuant to regulations as from the date of the TWSE's written notification. If the stock for which the foreign issuer applied for listing is not listed for trading within 3 months from the date of the TWSE's written notification, the TWSE shall void the listing agreement, and report to the Competent Authority for recordation. Notwithstanding, if the foreign issuer, with legitimate reason, applies for an extension, then after the TWSE approves such extension, the foreign issuer may be granted a one-time-only 3-month extension, which shall be reported to the Competent Authority for recordation.
    The foreign issuer shall undertake in writing that, after listing, it will establish a reporting system with the TWSE for automatic synchronous reporting of material information.
Article 27-1     Approval will be granted for listing of the stock or Taiwan depositary receipts of a foreign issuer that applies for a TWSE secondary listing or that sponsors issuance of Taiwan Depositary Receipts by a depositary institution if the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs or a professional institution engaged by the TWSE issues an unequivocal opinion it is a technology enterprise, has successfully developed marketable goods or technology, and meets each of the following criteria:
  1. 1. Number of shares to be listed or units of Taiwan depositary receipts to be listed: 20 million shares or more, or shares with a market price of NT$300 million or more; or 20 million units or more, or units with a market price of NT$300 million or more; provided that it may not exceed 50 percent of the total number of shares issued by the foreign issuer.
  2. 2. The securities underwriter has provided a written recommendation.
  3. 3. The stock, or the securities representing such stock, issued by the foreign issuer in accordance with the laws of its country of registration is already listed and traded on the main board of one of the overseas securities markets approved by the Competent Authority before the listing of the stocks or Taiwan depositary receipts under the listing application.
  4. 4. At the time of application for listing, the shareholders' equity stated on the financial report audited and certified by a Certified Public Accountant for the most recent period shall be the equivalent of NT$300 million or more and not less than two-thirds of the sum of capital stock and capital reserve; evidence shall also be required supporting that there is a sufficient amount of working capital covering the period of 12 months after the listing and half or more of such working capital is derived from the principal operating activities.
  5. 5. At the time of the proposed listing, the number of registered shareholders or holders of the Taiwan depositary receipts in the Republic of China is not less than 1,000 persons, and the total number of shares held by the shareholders or holders of the Taiwan depositary receipts other than insiders of the foreign issuer and juristic persons of which such insiders own over 50 percent of the shareholding is 20 percent or more of the total number of issued shares or is 10 million shares or more.
  6. 6. The stock to be listed shall be the same class of stock listed on other stock exchanges or securities markets. The rights and obligations of the holders of stock shall be identical with those of the same class of stock listed on other stock exchanges or securities markets. Local holders of the stock shall not be restricted from selling the stock on foreign stock exchanges or securities markets.
  7. 7. There is no abnormal fluctuation in the price of the stock, or securities representing the stock, issued by the foreign issuer under the law of the country of registration, during the 3 months before the agreement takes effect for listing of shares or Taiwan depositary receipts with respect to which the listing application is submitted.
  8. 8. The depositary institution has not, within the past year, been sanctioned by the TWSE for any error in information reporting, where the circumstances were serious.
    The foreign issuer shall undertake in writing that, after listing, it will establish a reporting system with the TWSE for automatic sychronous reporting of material information.
Article 28-7     A foreign issuer that applies for a TWSE primary listing of its stock shall in writing undertake as follows:
  1. 1. When the TWSE deems it necessary to audit the foreign issuer's financial operations or money flow, the foreign issuer is willing to fully cooperate with the investigations of the TWSE and any attorney, CPA, or professional institution designated by the TWSE, to provide any and all information required by the TWSE, and agrees to be responsible for payment of investigation expenses.
  2. 2. The foreign issuer will appoint a professional shareholder services agent in the Republic of China to handle shareholder services, and will continuously engage a lead securities underwriter from the date of listing to the end of the 2 subsequent fiscal years to assist it in complying with ROC securities acts and regulations, and the listing contract. However, if the foreign issuer applies for TWSE primary listing pursuant to Article 28-1, paragraph 2, the subsequent period in which the lead securities underwriter is continuously engaged for assistance may not be less than three fiscal years.
  3. 3. Shall add important matters concerning the protection of shareholders' equity in its company bylaws or organizational documents.
  4. 4. The shares under the listing application shall be delivered by the book-entry method.
  5. 5. After listing, it will continue to comply with ROC securities acts and regulations, the listing contract, and the bylaws, rules, and public announcements of the TWSE.
Article 28-11     A foreign issuer applying for TWSE primary listing of its stock shall, after the listing contract has taken effect, proceed to conduct the public sale pursuant to the preceding Article. If the stock for which the foreign issuer applied for listing has not been listed for trading within 3 months from the date on which the issuer was notified in writing, the TWSE shall void the listing contract, and report to the Competent Authority for approval. If the foreign issuer applies for an extension with a legitimate reason, it may be granted a 3-month extension, one time only, subject to the approval of the TWSE and review and recordation by the Competent Authority.