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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(2012.10.26)
Date：
Article 28-1     The TWSE may issue documentation evidencing listing approval of the application by a foreign issuer for a TWSE primary listing if that issuer meets all of the requirements listed below:
  1. It complies with regulations in connection with the Act Governing Relations Between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area. However, if individuals, juristic persons, groups, or other institutions from the Mainland Area have direct or indirect shareholding or capital contribution exceeding 30 percent in, or effective control over, the foreign issuer, special-case permission shall be obtained from the competent authority.
  2. At the time it applies for listing, the applicant company or any of its controlled companies shall have an operational track record of 3 years or longer.
  3. The company scale meets one of the following criteria:
    1. At the time of application for listing, paid-in capital or shareholders' equity is NT$600 million or higher.
    2. At the time of listing, market capitalization is NT$1.6 billion or higher.
  4. Its cumulative net income before tax for the most recent 3 fiscal years is NT$250 million or higher, and its net income before tax for the most recent fiscal year is NT$120 million or higher, and it does not have any accumulated deficit.
  5. Its number of shareholders of record is 1,000 or more, and the number of shareholders other than insiders of the foreign issuer and juristic persons of which such insiders own over 50 percent of the shareholding is no less than 500 and their total shareholdings constitute 20 percent or more of the total issued shares or not less than 10 million shares.
  6. The number of shares planned to be listed and traded shall exceed 50 percent of the total number of its issued shares.
  7. It is recommended, in writing, by two or more securities underwriters.
    Where a foreign issuer applies for a TWSE primary listing of stock, if, for the foreign issuer or a company controlled by it whose successfully developed products or technology contribute 50 percent of its overall operating revenue, there has been issued an unequivocal opinion by the Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs, or a TWSE-designated professional institution, indicating that the company is a technology enterprise and has successfully developed products or technology and those products or technology are moreover marketable, if the foreign issuer meets the requirements of the following subparagraphs, the TWSE may issue evidentiary documentation indicating its approval of the listing:
  1. It complies with the relevant provisions of the Act Governing Relations Between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area. However, if individuals, juristic persons, groups, or other institutions from the Mainland Area have direct or indirect shareholding or capital contribution exceeding 30 percent in, or effective control over, the foreign issuer, special-case permission shall be obtained from the competent authority.
  2. At the time of the listing application, the applying company or the controlled company that is a technology enterprise shall have a business record of one full fiscal year or more.
  3. At the time of the listing application, the paid-in capital or shareholders' equity reaches NT$300 million or more, or the market capitalization reaches NT$800 million or more.
  4. At the time of the listing application, the net worth on the most current financial report audited and attested by a certified public accountant is not lower than two-thirds of the capital stock, with proof that the company has operating capital sufficient for 12 months of operation following the listing. In the case of a foreign issuer whose shares have no par value or a par value other than NT$10, the issuer's net worth shall be not less than two-thirds of the sum of the share capital plus capital reserves minus original issue premium.
  5. Its number of shareholders of record is 500 or more, and the total shareholdings of the shareholders of record other than insiders of the foreign issuer and juristic persons of which such insiders own over 50 percent of the shareholding constitute 20 percent or more of the total issued shares or not less than five million shares.
  6. The number of shares planned to be listed and traded shall exceed 50 percent of the total number of its issued shares.
  7. It is recommended by two or more securities underwriters.
    When a foreign issuer applies for a TWSE primary listing of stock, if its operating revenue derived from construction business represents 20 percent or greater of its total operating revenue, or its gross profit derived from construction business represents 20 percent or greater of its total gross profit, or its operating revenue or gross profit derived from construction business is more than that derived from other business items, during the most recent 2 fiscal years, it shall meet all of the requirements provided in Articles 16 and 17 herein, in which case, the TWSE may issue evidentiary documentation indicating its approval of the listing thereof; in the case of a foreign issuer whose shares have no par value or a par value other than NT$10, the paid-in capital requirement of Article 16, paragraph 1, subparagraph 2 shall be calculated on the basis of shareholders's equity. However, the foreign issuer may be exempt from the requirements of Article 17, subparagraphs 1 to 3 herein if the construction company and the foreign issuer are not related parties, and the foreign issuer has established adequate internal control systems and tender procedures for contracting projects out, and the payment terms comply with usages of trade. "Controlled company" in paragraphs 1 and 2 means any of the following circumstances:
  1. Any controlled company in which the foreign issuer directly holds more than 50 percent of the issued voting shares or has contributed more than 50 percent of the capital.
  2. Any controlled company in which the foreign issuer, indirectly through a subsidiary company, holds more than 50 percent of the issued voting shares or has contributed more than 50 percent of the capital.
  3. Any controlled company in which the foreign issuer directly, or indirectly through a subsidiary, holds more than 50 percent of the issued voting shares or has contributed more than 50 percent of the capital.
    If a foreign issuer is a professional investor and its purpose is to directly, or indirectly through a subsidiary company, control the operations of a holding company or companies, 70 percent or more of that foreign issuer's operating income in its consolidated financial statement shall be derived from a controlled company or companies.    The effect of minority interest in the net income (loss) shall be deducted from the calculation of the net income before tax on the consolidated financial statement under paragraph 1, subparagraph 4.
Article 28-12     If a primary listed company issues new shares of a stock that is the same type as a stock already listed and applies for listing of the new shares, the new shares will be listed in accordance with the provisions of Article 139, paragraph 2, applied mutatis mutandis under Article 165-1, of the Securities and Exchange Act.
     If a primary listed company has issued common shares in response to the exercise of conversion rights or subscription rights under corporate bonds with warrants, convertible corporate bonds, or detached company warrants issued by the company, the company shall promptly file a report to the TWSE, submitting the relevant listing documents, and may be exempted from the requirement of public sale under Article 28-10.
Article 28-13     A foreign issuer that privately places securities may not apply for initial listing of such privately placed securities during the period of restriction of transfer as set forth in Article 43-8, applied mutatis mutandis under Article 165-1, of the Securities and Exchange Act. If, once the period of restriction of transfer has elapsed, the issuer intends to apply for listed trading of the securities, it may file such application only after first supplementally completing public issuance examination and approval procedures with the Competent Authority.
    Securities that are privately placed by a primary listed company and securities subsequently distributed, converted, or subscribed may not be listed during the period of restriction of transfer as set forth in Article 43-8, applied mutatis mutandis under Article 165-1, of the Securities and Exchange Act. Once the period of restriction of transfer has elapsed, the company may file a listing application only after first applying to the TWSE for a letter of approval and, on the basis of that letter, supplementarily completing issuance examination and approval procedures with the Competent Authority. However, the company may be exempted from the requirement of carrying out public sale prior to listing under Article 28-10.
    When applying to the TWSE for a letter of approval under the preceding paragraph, a primary listed company shall meet the standards in each of the following subparagraphs:
  1. The financial reports for the most recent period and the most recent fiscal year show an absence of accumulated deficit.
  2. Its cumulative net income before tax for the most recent 3 fiscal years is NT$160 million or higher, and its net income before tax for the most recent fiscal year is NT$80 million or higher.
  3. A certified public accountant has audited the consolidated financial reports for the most recent 2 fiscal years and has signed and issued an audit report containing an unqualified opinion. If an audit report containing other than an unqualified opinion is issued, it does not affect the fairness of presentation of the financial reports.
  4. None of the events set out in Article 28-8, subparagraphs 1, 3, 4, or 7 is present.
  5. The fund utilization plan has been completely executed for the funds obtained from the private placement of securities, and has yielded reasonable benefits; provided, this restriction shall not apply if there is legitimate reason.
  6. For an applicant company that had net profit and no accumulated deficit for the fiscal year before the shareholders meeting resolved on the private placement of securities, if any of the circumstances listed below exists, then in addition to meeting the profitability requirements of subparagraph 2, the ratio of net income before tax to year-end paid-in capital for the most recent fiscal year shall be better than that for the fiscal year before the shareholders meeting resolved on the private placement of securities:
    1. The private placement solely introduced strategic investors, and at the time the company applies for the letter of approval, the privately placed shares have not been transferred, or have been transferred to the holding of non-insider(s) or non related party(ies) of the applicant company.
    2. There is a likelihood of an event under Article 7 or 8 of the Regulations Governing the Offering and Issuance of Securities by Foreign Issuers, but the applicant company for a legitimate reason is unable to reasonably correct the situation and unable to conduct the public offering, and is urgently in need of capital, and is granted permission for the private placement by the TWSE, and at the time the company applies for the letter of approval for listing of the privately placed securities, the securities have not been transferred, or have been transferred to the holding of non-insider(s) or non related party(ies) of the applicant company.
  7. For an applicant company that had net profit and no accumulated deficit for the fiscal year before the shareholders meeting resolved on the private placement of securities, if any of the circumstances listed below exists, then in addition to meeting the profitability requirements of subparagraph 2, the ratio of net income before tax to year-end paid-in capital for the most recent fiscal year may not be lower than 200 percent of that for the fiscal year before the shareholders meeting resolved on private placement of securities:
    1. The private placement solely introduced strategic investors, and at the time the company applies for the letter of approval, part or all of the privately placed shares have been transferred to the holding of insider(s) or related party(ies) of the applicant company.
    2. The private placement did not introduce strategic investors.
    3. There is a likelihood of an event under Article 7 or 8 of the Regulations Governing the Offering and Issuance of Securities by Foreign Issuers, but the applicant company for a legitimate reason is unable to reasonably correct the situation and unable to conduct the public offering, and is urgently in need of capital, and is granted permission for the private placement by the TWSE, and at the time the company applies for the letter of approval for listing of the privately placed securities, part or all of the securities have been transferred to the holding of insider(s) or related party(ies) of the applicant company.
    4. The conducting of the private placement of securities was not done in accordance with the Directions for Private Placements, where the circumstances were serious.
  8. For an applicant company that had net loss or accumulated deficit for the fiscal year before the shareholders meeting resolved on the private placement of securities, if any of the circumstances listed below exists, then in addition to meeting the profitability requirements of subparagraph 2, the net income before tax for the most recent fiscal year shall be NT$120 million or higher:
    1. Any insider or related party of the company participates in the private placement, and the subscription price does not comply with the percentage requirements set out by the Competent Authority.
    2. The private placement of securities is not carried out in accordance with the Directions for Private Placements, and the circumstances are serious.
  9. Others consistent with the provisions of the Competent Authority.

    The standard basis for the "net income before tax" specified in subparagraphs 2, 6, 7, and 8 of the preceding paragraph shall be the CPA audited and attested consolidated financial report, and the effect of minority interest in the net income (loss) shall be deducted from the calculation of the net income before tax.
    In the provisions regarding the ratio of net income before tax to year-end paid-in capital in subparagraphs 6 and 7 of paragraph 3, if the stock of a primary listed company has no par value or a par value per share other than NT$10, the calculation shall be of the ratio of net income before tax to the sum of the share capital plus capital reserves minus the original issue premium.
    Prior to the listing, all privately placed shares held by non-strategic investors, insiders, and related parties as referred to in subparagraph 7 or 8 of paragraph 3, shall be placed in central custody with a central securities depository enterprise incorporated with the approval of the Competent Authority. One half of the shares placed in central custody may be withdrawn only after the end of a 6-month period starting from the date of commencement of listed trading; the remaining shares may be withdrawn in full only after the end of a 1-year period starting from the date of commencement of listed trading. The custodial agreement may not be rescinded during the custody period, and the shares in central custody may not be transferred or pledged. The validity of central custody shall not be affected by a change of the identity of the holders of shares in central custody.    Where the Competent Authority has restricted the listed trading of securities issued by a primary listed company, privately placed securities of the company may not be listed until such restriction has been lifted, even if the period of restriction of transfer of the privately placed shares has elapsed.