Bangkok: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced an exemption from fees for offering sustainability bonds, sustainability digital tokens, and digital tokens associated with soft power projects, effective from June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2028.
According to Thai News Agency, the SEC’s initiative aims to encourage the private sector to acknowledge the significance of sustainability in business operations. By waiving the application and filing fees, the SEC supports fundraising and investment through sustainability bonds and digital tokens. This waiver will remain in effect until May 31, 2025. The SEC also promotes fundraising through digital tokens linked to soft power projects, such as music, movies, and art. Issuers can apply for digital token offerings as a group (shelf filing) starting September 16, 2024, with several key provisions.
The first provision involves the extension of the fee exemption period for sustainability bonds. Secondly, the filing fee exemption period is extended for sustainability-linked bonds and other sustainability bonds. These bonds must use the Thailand Taxonomy or ASEAN Taxonomy as a reference, with an independent external review provider certifying project compliance with these Taxonomies.
Furthermore, the SEC will extend the exemption period for application and filing fees for sustainability digital tokens, including green tokens, social tokens, sustainability tokens, and sustainability-linked tokens. Additionally, application and filing fees for both one-time and shelf filings for digital tokens related to soft power projects, such as music, films, and art, will be exempted as specified by the SEC.