CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE
FOCUS ON: IFIE/IOSCO 2010 CONFERENCE
FEATURE: AFIE REGIONAL MEETING AND CONFERENCE
INVESTOR EDUCATION AROUND THE GLOBE
IFIE MEMBER PROFILE

There are clear signs that the global economic recovery is starting to take hold, although it seems to be an uneven recovery with a chance of a ‘double dip’ or a relapse. In any event, it appears that governments around the globe are starting to get focused on longer term issues. This provides a huge opportunity for investor/financial literacy efforts to garner attention and to raise funds to support the recovery.

We at the International Forum for Investor Education (IFIE) are beginning to plot a new course by enhancing the recognition that investor education is part of the solution. We are beginning to update our draft letter to the G20 on the importance of investor education. We will plan to send a letter to the G20 after approaching IOSCO to determine if they have an interest in sending a joint letter.

IFIE has been extremely busy during the last quarter. Planning is underway for the next IFIE/IOSCO Global Investor Education Conference, which will be held 8-9 November 2010 in Egypt. The Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority, which is both an IFIE and an IOSCO member, is the local host for this global event. More details will be forthcoming shortly. Please hold the date on your calendar!

I was thrilled to attend two great milestone events for IFIE, the formal creation of two Regional Subcommittees. The Asia Forum for Investor Education (AFIE) was created in early February during a successful two-day event held on 2 and 3 February in Seoul, South Korea. Thirty organizations from across Asia attended the meeting. Mr. Kun Ho Hwang, chairman of KOFIA and the Korea Council for Investor Education, was elected chairman of the AFIE Regional Subcommittee. KOFIA has been the driving force in organizing this new Regional Subcommittee of IFIE and will act as its Secretariat.

As I am writing this letter, I am returning from a terrific inaugural meeting of the Middle East North Africa (MENA) IFIE Regional Subcommittee. The meeting was held on the 15-16 March 2010. Over 300 people from across the MENA region attended the first day followed by a second day for just MENA IFIE members. Dr. Ahmed Saad, senior advisor to the Egyptian Financial Services Authority (EFSA) chairman, was elected chairman of the IFIE MENA Regional Subcommittee. EFSA pioneered the Regional Subcommittee concept with IFIE and has been the driving force in establishing the new MENA IFIE. EFSA will also operate as its Secretariat.

These two meetings have displayed the powerful bond that can be created through common cultural, language and geographic interests. IFIE believes that the partnership of strong regional bonding coupled with global access to information and ideas will dramatically accelerate investor education programmes across the globe. As a result we hope to create additional Regional Subcommittees as we go forward. If any of you have an interest in spear heading a new Regional Subcommittee, please let me know.

IFIE is also excited to release the results of its first “Global Investor Education Survey” in April. One of the key points from the survey is that most respondents plan to maintain or expand their current level of investor education spending. We believe that it is critical in the face of tight funding to find funding as we continue the process of recovering from the global financial crisis. We believe that investor education can play a major role in restoring investor trust and confidence in the economy and markets.

Yours,

Steve Joachim
Chairman
International Forum for Investor Education

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The third joint investor education conference of IFIE and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) will be held 8-9 November 2010 in Cairo, Egypt and will be sponsored by the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority. The 2010 IFIE/IOSCO investor education conference follows the organizations’ successful gatherings in 2007 in Madrid and 2009 in Washington, D.C.

This will be an unique opportunity to learn from and network with the world’s leading experts on investor education. Start making plans today to attend this essential gathering for all professionals dealing with investor education matters!

Conference attendees will be limited and advance registration is strongly recommended. Early-bird conference rates and other registration details will be posted shortly on http://www.ifie.org/2010conference.

To sign up for updates on major speakers, panelists and conference agenda details and to be contacted with more information once registration is open, please email Ailis Aaron Wolf at aawolf@hastingsgroup.com.

Conference sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information about becoming a conference sponsor, please contact Ailis Aaron Wolf at +1 (703) 276-3265 or aawolf@hastingsgroup.com.

IFIE is proud to support the newly-formed Asia Forum for the newly formed AFIE IFIE Regional Subcommittee.

AFIE held a very successful General Meeting and International Seminar on Investor Education from 3-4 February 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. A total of 50 delegates from 30 organizations in 20 jurisdictions attended the General Meeting on 3 February, where the AFIE charter and IFIE regional proposal was unanimously approved.

The seminars on 4 February brought in 300 attendees. KOFIA Chairman Hwang was elected chairman of AFIE for a two-year period. Advisory Committee members of AFIE include KOFIA, JSDA, Taiwan Securities Association, The Association of Capital Market Intermediary Institutions of Turkey, and Association of National Stock Exchange Members of India. News agencies from across Asia covered the event.

To learn more about the AFIE conference, go to http://www.afie.asia/AFIE2010.html.

SIAS (Securities Investors Association of Singapore) a non-profit organization, was founded unexpectedly in June 1999. 174,000 retail investors were suddenly stranded when the Malaysian Government froze their investments on Malaysian stocks in September 1998, amounting to US$5 billion. A group of civic-minded citizens got together and took on the challenge to free the frozen shares with an initial backing by 49,880 retail investors as members. The resoluteness and unity of these citizens helped to resolve the issue on their terms.

Today, SIAS is the largest organized investor lobby group in Asia, with almost 66,000 retail investors as members. It is run by a Management Committee comprising of professionals who are volunteers. It actively promotes Investor Education, Corporate Transparency and Corporate Governance and is the watchdog for Investor rights. To date, SIAS has successfully organized some 230 investor education programmes ranging from basic investment seminars for novices to certificate courses for investment savvy investors. Thus far, about 20,000 retail investors have benefited from these programmes.

The Capital Market Authority of Oman was established by Royal Decree 80/98 dated November 9th, 1998. It is the governmental authority responsible for organizing and overseeing the issue and trading of securities in the Sultanate. The same decree also established the Muscat Securities Market (MSM, an exchange where all listed securities shall be traded. Royal Decree 82/98 dated November 25th, 1998, also established the Muscat Depository and Securities Registration Company, provided for the establishment of a closed joint stock company as the sole provider, in the Sultanate, of the services of registration and transfer of ownership of securities and safe keeping of ownership documents (depository). Thus the securities industry in Oman was well established to develop confidence in investors by developing and improving all the process related to the stock market. As a continuing process in the development of the securities market, the Capital Market Authority has developed its website to provide information and financial data related to the performance of the Muscat Securities Market and all listed companies directly to investors. This will not only ensure transparency of activities which is considered one of the main principles of a well organized market, but will also support the market by encouraging investors to make the right investment decision at the right time. The site also includes investor education such as shareholder’s rights, an FAQ on investing and the market, and investor publications.

TWSE (Taiwan Stock Exchange Corp.) was established in 1961, and has been the primary equities market in Taiwan. TWSE has enjoyed a reputation for having maintained an orderly market and a cost-effective trading capability since its inception. The fully computerized trading system has helped boost the trading capacity and efficiency of the stock market. Computer and information safety is vital to TWSE, and it has been awarded an ISO9001 quality system certificate for its computer system, and received ISO27001 certification for its IT Security Management System. TWSE has implemented many reform measures in the past few years in order to bring it in line with international practice, and to better reflect investors’ diversified needs. The Taiwanmarket is set to continue making progress towards liberalization and internationalization. For investors both inside and outside of Taiwan, the TWSE provides a “Guide to Investing in Taiwan,” which is a primer including background and details about investing within Taiwan. For details about securities trading, securities listing, margin trading, broker management, securities lending and clearing and settlement, investors are provided with an FAQ on the TWSE Web site.