FEAS Yearbook FEAS Yearbook 2010 | Page 68

ANNUAL REPORT JUNE 2010 FEDERATION OF EURO-ASIAN STOCK EXCHANGES BELARUSIAN CURRENCY AND STOCK EXCHANGE Pavel Tsekhanovich Chairman of the Board Established in 1993, the Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange (BCSE) is a unique trading platform in the country that serves the financial market of Belarus. Today, the BCSE is a stable working organization with constantly growing trade turnovers. The mission of the BCSE is to become the main power on the way of reforming the Belarusian organized financial market and to make it the basic source of investments for Belarusian enterprises. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT The BCSE was established on the basis of the state-run Interbank Currency Exchange in December 29, 1998 as a non-profit, public company with administrative and financial autonomy. Having obtained the license to pursue exchange activities and the depository license, the exchange began to organize trading in the main segments of the financial market of Belarus (the currency market, the government securities market, the market of the National Bank’s bonds, the corporate securities market, the market of bonds of local loans and the market of bills of exchange). In 1999, the BCSE developed the first listing criteria to provide a transparent and efficient market. The Exchange is governed by a five- member board of directors. The highest body is the General Meeting of Stockholders, the managerial body is the Supervisory Board (8 members). The BCSE membership is comprised of 29 banks, 64 brokerage and dealer firms and 5 individuals. The Interbank Currency Exchange was established 4 March 1993 by 18 leading business banks as a closed-type joint-stock company. Its main task was organizing trading in foreign currencies. On 24 March 1993, first PAGE 64 The mission of the BCSE is to become the main power on the way of reforming the Belarusian organized financial market and to make it the basic source of investments for Belarusian enterprises. Functions of the BCSE • Organization of exchange trading in foreign currencies, futures and securities • Clearing Center in Belarusian settlement clearing system • Depository functions for corporate securities • Registration of OTC transactions with corporate securities • Information Center functions trades in the Russian ruble were held in the electronic trading system. In 1995, the National Bank of Belarus granted the Interbank Currency Exchange the right to organize the purchase and sale of futures on foreign currency and other financial assets. On 24 September 1996 the Interbank Currency Exchange was made a subdivision of the National Bank, in which capacity it organized trading in foreign currencies for 2 years. In 1997, the Interbank Currency Exchange was granted the right to organize the secondary market of government securities (except for registered privatization vouchers) and the securities of the National Bank. First electronic government securities trades were carried out at the Interbank Currency Exchange on 16 January 1998. The BCSE aims to: • minimize risks and transaction charges from capital formation in the organized market; • provide transparency of transactions; • protect investors’ legal rights and their interests; • implement programs on financial resources formation necessary for their development; • develop state monetary and credit policy market mechanisms; • create necessary conditions for effective controlling functioning of the State FUTURE OUTLOOK • Expansion of technological capacity - upgrading the corporate network infrastructure • Expansion of SED functionality; • Works on information resources and databases integration based on Oracle WebLogic software; • Development and upgrade of the Internet- based exchange systems; • Introduction of new sectors and instruments in different segments of the exchange market; All the work performed by the BCSE and its future plans are aimed at providing all necessary conditions for civilized financial market functioning in the republic, which is able to protect the interests of all participants and ensure a successful and sustainable development of their business.