Minority shareholders’ group seeks partnership with PSE

MANILA, Philippines – The Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines (SharePhil), a group representing minority shareholders in the country, is seeking to partner with the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) to push for advocacies relating to the capital markets.

In an interview, SharePhil president and former PSE president Francis Lim said the PSE has been supportive of the group’s advocacies. However, it would be better if there is a memorandum of agreement that would formalize the partnership, Lim said.

 “They have been supporting us quietly but it would be nicer if there is a MOA especially for investor education and for advocacies relating to the capital markets. For example, if we can work together toward new laws,” he said.

Lim said SharePhil has proposed to partner with the PSE since early 2015.

“The MOA is really geared toward investor education. They (PSE) have very strong investor education and we have our own resources in investor education. So if we can tie up together, help each other, that will be very good,” Lim said.

SharePhil has also been pushing for capital market-friendly laws to increase the country’s investor base.

Lim said only less that one percent of the country’s 100 million population is invested in the stock market.

 “That has been the problem ever since I’m in the Exchange. Actually I was the first one who commissioned the study. It is based on accounts. The number of accounts is not even one percent of our 100 million or so Filipinos,” said Lim.

On the other hand, he noted in Singapore, 33 percent of the population is invested in the stock market.

The only way to improve participation in the market is through investor education, Lim said.

“We should educate investors on the advantages of the market. Once you are invested in the stock market, how can you save your rights? How can you be a responsible shareholder?” Lim said.

Toward this end, Lim said SharePhil also wants to push for the inclusion of capital markets as an independent subject in college.

“Through SharePhil, what I’d like to do is to lobby with the government to make capital markets a stand-alone subject in college education, regardless of the course, so that everybody comes out of college, with basic knowledge of the market,” he said.