|
SAFE has initiated various events on diversified areas including education training with regard to the stock market operations and investment procedures, which can broadly be classified into the following categories:
- Educational and Informational Sessions for Professionals
- Informational Sessions for Students
- Training Programmes for Students in collaboration with Islamabad Stock Exchange
- Informational Sessions for Small Investors
Primary aim and objectives of arranging such sessions is to create awareness amongst the general public, in particularly, the small investors, students and professionals from various fields regarding the basics of the stock exchange operations, procedures of investing in stocks and the deterrents to be kept in mind while investing in stocks. At present, unlike developed countries, as per rough estimates, only one percent of adult population in Pakistan invests in stocks. The said percentage is somewhere between 80-90% in developed countries. Therefore, our endeavors for educating our general public would greatly help in building the investor base in Pakistan and would go a long way in developing our stock markets.
South Asian Index (SAI)
The proposal for launching a South Asian Index was promoted by SAFE in its Executive Committee of 2006 and the same was approved in the Annual General Meeting of 2006, both held in Colombo Sri Lanka on 16th and 17th November, 2006 respectively. The proposal detailed that the SAI would be aimed at measuring and reflecting performance of leading stocks of the prominent market sectors, listed at the SAFE Member Exchanges. SAI, by providing an overview of the performance of the SAFE equity markets as a regional grouping, would highlight its investment potential. It would also serve as an underlying tool for developing new investment products in the region.
The South Asian Index was proposed to be launched in partnership with Dow Jones Indexes Inc, New York. Dow Jones Indexes, a unit of Dow Jones & Company, is a leading global full-service index provider that develops, maintains and licenses indexes for use as benchmarks and as the basis of investment products.
The draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was circulated for the acceptance of all member Exchanges to authorize SAFE EC to finalize the agreement for the launch of South Asian Index with Dow Jones Indexes Inc. The MoU signing ceremony was witnessed by electronic and print media and the Chairman Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. The EC meeting of SAFE shall prove to be a milestone in the history of the capital markets of the South Asian region by achieving to bring together the representatives of various capital markets of the region and obtain their consent for extending required cooperation for the launch of the South Asian Index.
  
NIBAF VISITS SAFE SECRETARIAT
A team of National Institute of Banking and Finance visited the Secretariat of South Asian Federation of Exchanges on February 22, 2007.This was a very informative sitting, followed by question and answer session. The visiting team comprised of participants from the various Countries including Senegal, Mauritius, Hungary, Jordan etc. Ms Farzin Khan Deputy Secretary General SAFE and Mr. Zahid Khan, Program Officer gave a detailed presentation on the “Establishment of SAFE and its key achievements”.
Later on, the visiting team was taken around the premises and briefed about the operations of the functioning bodies. The session ended after light refreshment. SAFE secretariat always welcomes the aspiring participants to see its functioning.
  
Prominent educational sessions conducted under each category mentioned above are as follows:
- EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS FOR PROFESSIONALS
- Educational Session for Command and Staff College, Quetta
 
Delegates of the Command and Staff College, Quetta
- Educational Session for School of Administration and Management, Pakistan Air Force Camp, Badaber, Peshawar
A delegation of 20 PAF officers attended an educational session on stock market operations and reforms, arranged by SAFE at ISE premises on 7th August 2006. Deputy Secretary General-SAFE and Manager Investor Information-ISE gave detailed presentation to the officers, which was greatly appreciated by the delegates.
INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS FOR STUDENTS
- Educational Session for Comsats Institute of Management & Computer Sciences, Lahore
Delegation of forty students from Comsats Institute of Management and Computer Sciences, Lahore attended the educational session arranged by SAFE. The students were briefed about the basics of the stock exchange.
- Educational Session for the Students of Beacon House and Head Start School System, Islamabad
Informational Session was also arranged for the students of A Level from Beacon House and Head Start School System. The students were given an orientation session with regard to various types of investment options. The informational session was designed keeping in view the level of understanding of the students of A- Level.
TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR STUDENTS IN COLLABORATION WITH ISLAMABAD STOCK EXCHANGE
SAFE in collaboration with Islamabad Stock Exchange arranged special summer internship programmes for the students from various local educational institutions. Students inducted in the said programme were provided in-house training through rotation in various departments of the exchange, including clearing and settlement, Information Technology, Members’ Affairs, Internal Audit and Company Affairs Departments.
Special lectures were also arranged by SAFE during their internship period wherein, the then Deputy Secretary General SAFE briefed the students on local and international practices and operations of the stock exchanges.
INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS FOR SMALL INVESTORS
SAFE in collaboration with ISE conducts periodical information sessions for the small investors/general public in which the difficulties faced by the small investors are discussed and its solutions are recommended along with all other queries of small investors.
Besides the focus on investor education, SAFE has been actively involved in obtaining grants and technical assistance from international donor agencies to undertake market development work in Pakistan. Prominent meetings of SAFE in this regard are as follows:
Grants and Technical Assistance for Developmental Activities of SAFE in Pakistan
SAFE has been making efforts to obtain grants and technical assistance from various international donor agencies for undertaking developmental works in Pakistan. In this regard, various international delegates visited SAFE to evaluate its performance and to visit its new premises in Islamabad.
Dr. Ulrich Camen’s and Mr. Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury’s visit, who is also a Member Parliament of Bangladesh are the prominent visits amongst other visits by international delegates.
 
Dr. Ulrich Camen on his visit to the SAFE Secretariat for evaluation of the SAFE Developmental Projects on behalf of FISRT Initiative – May 2006
Mr. Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury MP with the Secretary General and the then Deputy Secretary General SAFE at the SAFE Secretariat, during his visit from Bangladesh to Islamabad – Pakistan in May 2006
COLLABORATION OF SAFE WITH OTHER MARKET INTERMEDIARIES FOR UNDERTAKING DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES
SAFE has also initiated efforts to undertake developmental work in collaboration with other market intermediaries, like clearing company of Pakistan, Central Depository and Commodity Exchange. Work on establishing securities institute for the capacity building of securities market professionals is also under way. All the market intermediaries would be invited to become stakeholders in the said institute in due course.
Similarly proposals for developing Regional Index have also been placed on the appropriate forum by SAFE, on which the work will be initiated very shortly.
EXECUTIVE TRAINING PROGRAMME
For the capacity building of the securities market professionals, SAFE has granted scholarships to the officials of the local stock exchange for the Training Course arranged by the Training Institute of Bombay Stock Exchange.
Grant of such scholarships has been made a permanent feature at SAFE.
|
