Delegates from the SSC, FTSE Russell and Morgan Stanley at the meeting on November 4. (Photo courtesy of the SSC)

During a meeting on November 4 with representatives from FTSE Russell and Morgan Stanley to discuss the upgrade of Vietnam’s stock market, Vu Thi Chan Phuong, Chairwoman of the State Securities Commission (SSC), shared updates on new initiatives being implemented by the Vietnamese government and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) aimed at enhancing foreign investment in the country's financial market and meeting emerging market reclassification criteria.

Phuong said that Circular 68/2024/TT-BTC, issued by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) on September 18, 2024, eliminated the requirement for international investors to have sufficient funds before carrying out stock purchases.

This regulation introduced new provisions related to securities trading, payment processes, clearing operations and the activities of securities companies, as well as enhancing information disclosure requirements.

The Vietnam Securities Depository Center (VSDC) had also rolled out new regulations concerning depository membership, the clearing and settlement of securities transactions and the registration and transfer of securities ownership at the centre.

Upon returning to Vietnam after six months, Wanming Du, Director of Index Policy, Asia-Pacific, at FTSE Russell, said he was impressed by the advancements made by the regulator and the Vietnamese stock market on the very first day Circular 68 came into effect.

Du also affirmed that FTSE Russell would increase engagements with relevant stakeholders in Vietnam to support foreign investor transactions in the country, as well as to share insights and transaction methods used by FTSE clients in other emerging markets.

Young Lee, Managing Director of Equity Business for Asia at Morgan Stanley, acknowledged that the new regulations under Circular 68 had aligned Vietnam’s stock market more closely with FTSE Russell’s essential requirements.

He pointed out that the removal of the pre-funding requirement for order placements was a crucial demand from investors. While adjustments to mechanisms and policies typically take time, he commended Vietnam’s regulatory authorities for implementing this significant change swiftly and expressed gratitude for their efforts.

Looking ahead, Lee noted that upgrading the country’s stock market to an emerging market status could attract approximately 800 million USD from passive investors tracking the FTSE index and an additional 2 billion USD from those following other indices.

He also suggested that this upgrade could foster increased engagement from active funds, potentially resulting in an influx of 4-6 billion USD.

During the meeting, the FTSE Russell delegation and the SSC also addressed various topics, including processes for managing account shortfalls on failed buy and sell transactions, registration procedures for foreign investor assets, omnibus account mechanisms, foreign ownership limits and trading infrastructure.

Phuong said that the SSC was ready to engage with FTSE Russell and Morgan Stanley through both online and in-person meetings to better address the needs of foreign investors into Vietnam’s stock market.