DEMATERIALISATION, REFUND AND COMMISSION

In this post, we will discuss dematerialisation of shares, Refund of application money and payment of commission on issue of share capital.

DEMATERIALISATION OF SECURITIES

Section 29 of the Companies Act 2013, say every company making public offer; and such other class or classes of companies as may be prescribed shall issue the securities only in the dematerialised form. This section was discussed in detail earlier on this blog here.

Rule 9 of the Companies (Prospectus and Allotment of Securities) Rules 2014 prescribes that the promoters of every public company making a public offer of any convertible securities may hold such securities only in dematerialized form. The entire holding of convertible securities of the company by the promoters held in physical form up to the date of the initial public offer shall be converted into dematerialized form before such offer is made and thereafter such promoter shareholdings shall be held in dematerialized form only.

REFUND OF APPLICATION MONEY

According to Rules 11 of these Rules, if the stated minimum amount has not been subscribed and the sum payable on application is not received within the period specified therein, then the application money shall be repaid within a period of fifteen days from the closure of the issue and if any such money is not so repaid within such period, the directors of the company who are officers in default shall jointly and severally be liable to repay that money with interest at the rate of fifteen percent per annum.

The application money to be refunded shall be credited only to the bank account from which the subscription was remitted.

PAYMENT OF COMMISSION

Sub – Section (6) of Section 40, a company may pay commission to any person in connection with the subscription to its securities subject to such conditions as may be prescribed. Section 40 was discussed earlier here on this blog.

According to Rule 13 of these Rules, a company may pay commission to any person in connection with the subscription or procurement of subscription to its securities, whether absolute or conditional, subject to the following conditions, namely: –

(a) the payment of such commission shall be authorized in the company’s articles of association;

(b) the commission may be paid out of proceeds of the issue or the profit of the company or both;

(c) the rate of commission paid or agreed to be paid shall not exceed, in case of shares, five percent of the price at which the shares are issued or a rate authorised by the articles, whichever is less, and in case of debentures, shall not exceed two and a half per cent of the price at which the debentures are issued, or as specified in the company’s articles, whichever is less;

(d) the prospectus of the company shall disclose –

(i) the name of the underwriters;

(ii) the rate and amount of the commission payable to the underwriter; and

(iii) the number of securities which is to be underwritten or subscribed by the underwriter absolutely or conditionally.

(e) there shall not be paid commission to any underwriter on securities which are not offered to the public for subscription;

(f) a copy of the contract for the payment of commission is delivered to the Registrar at the time of delivery of the prospectus for registration.

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