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Relevant Laws

Title：Operating Rules of the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation (2022.04.28)
Article 25     A securities firm shall maintain all accounts and related trading certificates, vouchers, books and statements, and contracts at its business location. However, if a brokerage contract between a securities broker and a principal is stored on electronic media that cannot be edited or erased and the original of which can be provided anytime, the place to keep the hard copy of the contract will not be restriced to the business location.
    The TWSE may send personnel to examine and review the trading certificates, vouchers, books and statement, and contracts referred to in the preceding paragraph, and securities firms shall not avoid or refuse such examinations; the securities firm shall consent that the TWSE may query the Joint Credit Information Center for information concerning the securities firm's credit with financial institutions.
    The TWSE Determination Standards and Handling Procedures for the Avoidance or Refusal of Examinations by Securities Firms shall be separately prescribed by the TWSE.
    Except as otherwise provided in the Business Accounting Act, the number of years that the books and accounts and relevant trading certificates, vouchers, books and statements, and contracts under paragraph 1 shall be kept shall be in accordance with the Required Periods for Preservation of Accounting Statements and Vouchers by Securities Firms prescribed by the TWSE.
    For brokerage contract not maintained at the business location as provided in the first paragraph, a securities broker should pay attention to the safety of the locatation, environment and facilities of the storage, enhance the security measures of access and maintance, and establish relevant internal control system.
    When deemed necessary, the TWSE may request securities firms to provide their financial and business information, and disclose them to the public.
    Government bonds which are in bearer form that are obtained by securities firms by utilizing their assets pursuant to Article 18 of the Regulations Governing Securities Firms shall be deposited with a custodian institution.
Article 28     A securities brokerage firm shall not deposit its funds in an institution other than one engaged in the banking business.
    Without the approval of the Competent Authority, a securities brokerage firm shall not use its own funds to invest in securities that are not listed on the TWSE; where its own funds are invested into TWSE listed securities, the amount of investment shall not exceed the limit set by the Competent Authority.
    When the regulatory capital adequacy ratio of a securities broker is less than 100 percent, it may not use its own funds to purchase TWSE listed (or Taipei Exchange listed) stocks, and may make only sell trade dispositions. The standards and measures relating to the lifting of these restrictions after corrections have been made shall be governed, mutatis mutandis, by the provisions of Article 28-1, paragraph 2.
    Unless otherwise prescribed by the TWSE, a securities brokerage firm shall not use its own funds or securities, or funds or securities borrowed from others to process securities trading settlement for its principals.
Article 28-1     Where the total of brokerage or dealer trading orders placed by a securities firm in a single day exceeds twenty times its net funds available for use, the TWSE may suspend the placing of additional trading orders.
    Where the net worth of a securities firm is less than its paid-in capital but more than 50 percent thereof, the multiple referred to in the preceding paragraph may be adjusted to ten times. Where the net worth is less than 50 percent of the paid-in capital, the multiple may be adjusted to five times. Where the net worth is less than 50 percent of the paid-in capital for 3 consecutive months, the multiple may be adjusted to two times. If a securities firm uses a capital reduction to raise the ratio of its net worth to its paid-in capital, it must meet and maintain for 3 months the required conditions for the multiple that it wishes reinstated for its brokerage trading before that multiple may be adjusted pursuant to the preceding provisions.
    If the regulatory capital adequacy ratio of a securities firm meets the requirements of Article 65 of the Regulations Governing Securities Firms, the multiple referred to in the preceding paragraph may be adjusted to 15 times. If the regulatory capital adequacy ratio of the securities firm falls into the circumstances specified in Article 66 of the Regulations Governing Securities Firms, further downward adjustment may be made. The adjustment standards shall be separately prescribed by the TWSE.
    If the monthly statements filed by a securities firm show that the cause for an adjustment under paragraph 2 or paragraph 3 to some degree ceases to exist, successive adjustments to the multiple may be made according to the degree to which the cause ceases to exist.
    The method of calculation of the net funds available for use referred to in paragraph 1 shall be prescribed by the TWSE.
    If for 3 consecutive months, the financial ratio as shown in the monthly accounting summaries of a securities firm fails to satisfy the requirements of Article 13 or Article 16 of the Regulations Governing Securities Firms, and the Competent Authority issues the first notice of improvement to be made within a time period, but no improvement is made, the TWSE may adjust the multiple referred to in paragraph 1 to fifteen times; upon the second notice of the Competent Authority to improve within a time period, but no improvement is made, the multiple may be adjusted to ten times; for each additional notice by the Competent Authority to improve within a time period, but no improvement is made, the multiple may be adjusted to half the previous multiple as the total limit on trading for customers' account and its own account. After the above adjustments, the highest allowable amount shall not exceed four times the net worth. Once improvement is made, the original multiple shall be restored.
    In the event any securities firm falls within any of the categories under Article 3 of the Rules for Assistance to and Examination of Securities Firm of the TWSE, or subsequent to assistance, improvements cannot be made, the TWSE may lower the multiple referred to in paragraph 1. Where improvement has been made, the original multiple shall be restored.
Article 30     Securities firms shall not supply false or inaccurate information in any of their reports to the TWSE.
Article 37     Securities firms shall not have any investment, loan, or guaranty relations with any personnel of the TWSE, nor shall they concurrently hire or give honorary title to any personnel of the TWSE in any manner.
Article 75     Securities brokers conducting brokerage trading of securities shall comply with the following provisions:
  1. When accepting an account opening for processing, a securities broker shall first enter into a brokerage contract with the principal, recognizing these Operating Rules, the TWSE Regulations Governing Brokerage Contracts of Securities Brokers (hereinafter, the "Regulations Governing Brokerage Contracts"), public announcements, circular letters, and the regulations of the Taiwan Securities Association as integral parts of the contract, and specify the date of account opening and the following matters:
    1. For a principal that is a natural person: name, gender, age, occupation, address, telephone number, and National Identity Card number; if there is an agent, the agent's name and National Identity Card number.
    2. For a principal that is a juristic person: the juristic person's name, address, government uniform invoice number, phone number, representative, and authorized person.
  2. For a principal that is a person of no legal capacity or limited legal capacity, or who has been declared by a court to be placed under assistance, his/her statutory agent, guardian, or assistant shall sign/seal the brokerage contract and indicate the kinship relationship. All business vouchers for brokerage trading of securities, subscription of securities, and settlement matters shall be signed/sealed by the statutory agent, guardian, or assistant.
  3. For a principal that is a juristic person, such juristic person and its representative shall sign/seal the brokerage contract, and a power of attorney shall be provided. All business vouchers for brokerage trading of securities and settlement matters shall be signed/sealed by the authorized person.
  4. A director, supervisor, or employee of a securities firm may not open an account, engage in the brokerage trading of securities, purchase securities, or handle settlement-related matters on behalf of any other person, unless he/she is the statutory agent or guardian of the principal.
  5. When the principal or his/her/its statutory agent or authorized person signs the brokerage contract, a seal specimen card or signature card of the principal or the principal's statutory agent or authorized person shall be kept, and that same seal or signature shall be used for any orders placed in person for brokerage trading or subscription of securities and for the procedures for carrying out settlement, provided when the principal cancels an authorization, he/she/it may do so by correspondence or electronic means that is sufficient to identify the applicant as the principal himself/herself/itself and confirm his/her/its indication of intent; where the Taiwan agent and custodial institution of an offshore overseas Chinese or foreign national are the same person, the agent account-opening and settlement seal of the custodian institution may be taken as the specimen seal.
  6. When a principal or his/her/its statutory agent authorizes an agent to engage in brokerage trading, purchase securities or process settlement-related matters, a power of attorney shall be issued, and the seal specimen or signature card of such agent shall be kept for handling, provided when the principal cancels his/her/its authorization, he/she/it may do so according to the proviso in the preceding subparagraph .
  7. Where settlement of the principal's payment and securities is to be made by the book entry method, and where a letter of consent is signed, signature/seal of the settlement slips (order tickets for non face-to-face orders, trade reports, etc.) may be waived. However, before settlement, information relevant to the brokerage trade shall be given to the principal and a confirmation record shall be kept on file. Where, pursuant to law or regulation, the principal may effect receipt or payment of the purchase price by account transfer (or remittance), signature/seal of the settlement slips (order tickets for non face-to-face orders, trade reports, etc.) may be waived. However, before settlement, the securities firm shall give notice of information relevant to the brokerage trade to the principal and the custodian institution to be the agent for trade settlement, and shall keep a confirmation record on file.
  8. A securities broker may not use computer-set groups in handling securities trading orders. The order ticket and trading order record shall record information pursuant to Articles 4 and 12 of the Regulations Governing Information to be Published in Order Tickets, Trade Reports, and Reconciliation Statements Prepared by Securities Brokers Upon Receiving Orders to Buy or Sell Securities of the Competent Authority, and be prepared in accordance with the following provisions:
    1. Trading through non-electronic media:
      1. For trading orders placed in person: the principal or its agent or authorized person that places trading orders for securities in person shall fill out an order ticket and affix their signature/seal thereto.
      2. For trading orders placed via telephone, in writing, by telegraph, or by another method approved by the TWSE: if the principal, or its agent or authorized person places an order for trading of securities by one of the above methods, the associated person handling the order at the securities broker that accepts the order shall fill out the order ticket by hand or electronic means; with the exception of orders placed by telephone, the letter, telegram, or relevant documents shall be attached to the back of the order ticket.
        3. Where the securities broker fills out the order ticket by electronic means, if delegation of responsibility for the execution of the trading order can be implemented and the employee handling that trading order confirmed, order tickets need not be printed out individually, provided that they shall be stored using a non-revisable, non-erasable electronic medium.
    2. Trading through electronic media:
      3. Means that a principal uses voice mail, the Internet, dedicated line, closed private network, or other electronic means approved by the TWSE to place a trading order, which the securities broker shall handle in accordance with the following provisions:
      1. Where a trading order is placed through an electronic medium, the securities broker need not prepare or fill out an order ticket on the client's behalf.
      2. If a trading order is placed via the Internet, the internet protocol (IP) address and electronic signature thereof shall be recorded. If a trading order is placed via voice mail, through coordination with the telecommunications institution the caller-end number display function shall be enabled, and the number of the incoming call recorded.
    3. When a securities broker accepts a trading order through non-electronic media, and uses electronic media to fill out the order ticket, or accepts a trading order through electronic media, it shall print trading order records in chronological order, and after close of market, have them signed/sealed by the brokerage personnel handling the order. However, if the storage operations of the trading order record meet the following requirements, the trading order record need not be printed out and signed:
      1. A non-revisable, non-erasable electronic storage medium is used, and preparation of trading order records is completed on the day the trade is executed.
      2. Comprehensive indexing and management procedures are set up.
      3. Management responsibility is assigned to designated personnel, and electronic data files can be converted into print format at any time.
  9. The brokerage trading of securities, order confirmation, and execution report between a securities broker and a principal shall be conducted in accordance with the following provisions:
    1. Trading through non-electronic media:
      2. The execution report may be given by electronic mail, telephone, facsimile, text message, voice message, or the Internet.
    2. Trading through electronic media:
      3. The transmission of the brokerage order for purchase/sale of securities, order confirmation, execution report, and other electronic documents between a securities broker and the principal who uses an electronic trading method other than voice mail shall carry the electronic signature issued by the institution providing vouchers for identification and confirmation; however, this restriction shall not apply in the following circumstances:
      1. Order confirmation and execution report are conducted by telephone, facsimile, text message, voice menu system, or the Internet.
      2. The conditions for exemption are met under the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of Direct Market Access by Futures Brokers.
  10. The order ticket referred to in subparagraph 8 shall be numbered in the order it is received. Its format and particulars to be recorded shall be as prescribed by the Competent Authority. When there is any dispute in connection with a trade, the order ticket shall be kept until the dispute is resolved. When there is no dispute, order tickets shall be kept in accordance with the following provisions:
    1. For unexecuted trades: destroy after one week; however, if an order ticket is filled out by hand, it shall be stamped "Unexecuted".
    2. For executed trades: if there is no dispute, keep for 5 years together with other business vouchers.
  11. If, after an order from a principal to trade within 30 minutes prior to the commencement of market trading hours or within a certain period of time prior to the close of market trading hours as accepted by a securities broker is reported to the TWSE, there occurs a massive revocation or amendment to the report, the TWSE may request the securities broker to collect in advance from its principal, upon accepting the trading order, the funds or securities, margin for margin purchases, or margin for short sales.
Article 77     When a securities broker processes account opening for overseas Chinese or foreign nationals for the purpose of brokered sale of securities, the securities broker shall obey relevant laws and regulations and comply with the following provisions:
  1. If special-case approval is granted by the Investment Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Science-Based Industrial Park Administration, or the Export Processing Zone Administration, a photocopy of the approval to sell document and power of attorney for the filing and payment of tax required by the tax collection authority must be retained, provided no such power of attorney is required if no tax agent is required. That account may only accept sell orders, and only for the type and amount of securities as originally approved in the investment plan. If, prior to the 19 November 1997 amendments to the Act Governing Investment by Foreign Nationals and the Act Governing Investment in Taiwan by Overseas Chinese, special-case approval to hold unlisted stocks has not been granted by the Investment Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Science-Based Industrial Park Administration, or the Export Processing Zone Administration, and such stocks are subsequently approved for listing, the original investment information (such as trading vouchers, wire transfer receipts, and tax payment receipts) shall be submitted , and a special application shall be made by letter to the TWSE for its approval for account opening, before brokerage orders to sell such stocks may be accepted.
  2. In regard to securities obtained due to gift, succession, or pursuant to Article 167-1, paragraph 2; Article 167-2; Article 235-1; or Article 267 of the Company Act or Article 28-2, paragraph 1, subparagraph 1 or Article 28-3 of the Securities and Exchange Act or prior to relinquishing one's original nationality or prior to the implementation of the Regulations Governing Investment in Securities by Overseas Chinese and Foreign Nationals and Procedures for Remittance on 28 December 1990, and the resulting shares alloted, subscribed for or assigned, a copy of the identification or company registration certificate (or document of equivalent validity), the power of attorney for filing tax returns required by the tax collection authority, and the following documents shall be submitted for account opening. That account may only accept sell orders, and trading shall be limited to the sale of the aforesaid securities. No such power of attorney is required if no tax agent is required.
    1. Where the securities and the said entitlements are obtained through gift, transfer procedure shall be completed and the certificate of payment of gift tax or other certification issued by the tax collection authority shall be submitted.
    2. Where the securities and the said entitlements are obtained through succession, transfer procedure shall be completed and the certificate of payment of estate tax or other certification issued by the tax collection authority shall be submitted.
    3. Where the securities and the said entitlements are obtained pursuant to Article 167-1, paragraph 2; Article 167-2; Article 235-1; or Article 267 of the Company Act or Article 28-2, paragraph 1, subparagraph 1 or Article 28-3 of the Securities and Exchange Act, a certificate of employment valid at the time the employee obtains the shares through allotment, subscription or assignment and documents evidencing the allotment, subscription or assignment shall be submitted.
    4. Where the securities are obtained prior to relinquishing one's original nationality or prior to the implementation of the Regulations Governing Investment in Securities by Overseas Chinese and Foreign Nationals and Procedures for Remittance on 28 December 1990, document proving the source of the securities or other documents shall be submitted.
  3. Securities obtained in compliance with the preceding subparagraph may be sold by mutatis mutandis application of Article 82-1.
  4. Where foreign securities have been obtained before they are listed on the centralized securities exchange market of the TWSE on a primary listing basis, documentary proof of securities holdings issued by the agent for stock affairs engaged by the foreign issuer, or the documentary proof that employees have subscribed to or been allotted shares in accordance with the laws and regulations of the country of registration, the power of attorney for the filing and payment of tax required by the tax collection authority, and the documentary proof of identity of the principal or the principal's company registration certificate (or document of equivalent validity) shall be submitted to conduct account opening. That account may only accept sell orders, and trading shall be limited to the sale of the amount of holdings. No such power of attorney is required if no tax agent is required. If the holder of those securities, after opening the present account, subsequently opens an account with a securities broker for securities trading under Article 77-4, the present account shall be canceled.
  5. A principal referred to in subparagraph 1, 2, or 4 that obtains stock of another TWSE listed company, TWSE primary listed company, or emerging stock company, by duly participating in a public tender offer through an offer to sell, or by the issuer's participation in a merger or acquisition, or that obtains stock as a result of allotment, subscription or assignment, may sell the stock through those accounts.
    If the principal under the preceding paragraph is an offshore overseas Chinese or foreign natural person, he or she may mandate a Republic of China lawyer, CPA, custodian bank, or securities firm as his or her agent to open a New Taiwan Dollar account to be used solely for purposes of securities settlement, and shall submit the documents listed below:
  1. Documentary proof of identity: i.e., a certificate of nationality or photocopy of a valid passport, which shall be legalized by an overseas representative office or authorized entity of the Republic of China.
  2. Photocopy of the contract for opening of the securities account, and submit for inspection the original of the central depository account passbook.
  3. Power of attorney for the agent, which must be legalized by an overseas representative office or authorized entity of the Republic of China.
  4. Record of ID Number in the Republic of China issued by the National Immigration Agency of the Ministry of the Interior.
  5. A lawyer or CPA mandated as agent must have obtained a license to practice as a lawyer or CPA in the Republic of China, and shall submit for inspection the original of his or her documentary proof of identity and lawyer or CPA license; a custodian bank or securities firm mandated as agent shall provide the original of its business license, the original of which shall be returned after it has been inspected and a photocopy made to be retained on file.
    Foreign banks with branch offices in the Republic of China may use the name of the branch office to open the account in accordance with Article 75. Such account may only accept sales orders, and purchase orders shall not be accepted.
Article 80     Purchase or sale orders accepted by a securities broker shall be processed by registered and qualified associated persons.
    When executing orders to trade in securities, the registered and qualified associated persons referred to in the preceding paragraph shall wear the registration pass issued by the TWSE. When accepting trading orders, the associated persons shall fill out order tickets in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph 8 of Article 75, assign serial numbers to the orders, and process them in the order in which they are received.
    When a trading order has been matched, the securities broker shall produce a trade report. The format and the particulars to be specified on the report shall be in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the Competent Authority.
    For orders received by telephone, the securities broker shall synchronously record the conversation and shall keep the telephone recording in its place of business.
    The above-stated telephone recording shall be preserved for at least 1 year. Where there are disputes relating to a trading order, the recordings shall be preserved until the dispute has ended. In the event the securities broker suffers facilities breakdowns or it is remiss in its procedures, it shall within 2 days of the occurrence of the event report to the TWSE regarding the facts and causes and its remedial measures.
    The telephone recordings preserved in accordance with the preceding paragraph shall be construed as a type of trade voucher. In case the securities firm avoids or refuses inspection, it shall be punished in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 25 and the Standards for Determining Securities Firms Avoiding or Refusing Inspections and Handling Procedures Thereof.
Article 86     A securities broker shall keep all matters in which it is engaged by the principal in confidence and shall not disclose them to others; provided that the above shall not be applicable if the TWSE makes enquiries of the securities broker.
Article 136     Where any securities firm violates paragraph 4 of Article 25, Article 26, paragraph 2 or paragraph 3 of Article 58, subparagraph 5 of paragraph 1 and paragraph 3 of Article 75, paragraph 2 of Article 75-1, paragraph 2 of Article 75-2, Article 77-4, paragraph 5 of Article 80, Article 81, paragraph 1, 2, or 3 of Article 82, Article 82-1, paragraph 2 of Article 83, paragraph 1, 2, 3, 5, or 6 of Article 91, paragraph 2 of Article 91-1, paragraph 2 of Article 92, paragraph 2 or 3 of Article 94, or Article 113-1, or fail to make correction or improvement within the time limit designated in accordance with the preceding article, the TWSE may warn them or impose a breach penalty of not more than NT$300,000, and notify it to make correction or improvement within a prescribed time limit.
Article 137     If any securities firm violates Article 75-5, paragraph 2 herein or the provision regarding reporting deadline in Point 3(4) of the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation Operational Guidelines for Omnibus Trading Accounts, the TWSE may impose a fine of NT$30,000 if the delay is 1 hour or less, or an additional fine of NT$10,000 for each additional hour's delay.
    Where any securities firm fails to key-in within the prescribed time period the clearing data in respect of margin purchases or short sales in accordance with Article 103, the TWSE shall impose a fine of NT$30,000 if the delay is 1 hour or less, or an additional fine of NT$10,000 for each additional hour's delay.
    Where any securities firm violates Article 104, paragraph 5, subparagraphs 1 or 2, the TWSE shall impose a delay fine in accordance with the following criteria, provided that this rule shall not apply where the securities firm can provide evidence proving the delayed delivery of securities or proceeds is not attributable to any intent or negligence of the securities firm:
  1. Where the delay is 1 hour or less, a fine of NT$30,000 is imposed if the volume of shortfall in securities is 5,000 lots or less, or if the settlement price in the delayed payment is NT$50 million or less; a fine of NT$40,000 is imposed if the volume of shortfall is over 5000 lots, or the settlement price is over NT$50 million.
  2. Where the delay is over 1 hour, an additional fine of NT$10,000 is imposed for each additional hour's delay.
    Securities firms shall pay fines referred to in the preceding three paragraphs to the Finance Division of the TWSE within 2 days after receiving notification of the TWSE.