The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) announced that fee rates under OSC Rule 13-502 Fees and OSC Rule 13-503 (Commodity Futures Act) Fees will remain unchanged for a period of two years, starting April 1, 2018.
The OSC is funded by fees from market participants and typically re-evaluates its fee levels every three years. Rates were last set in 2015, and fees generally fall into two categories: participation and activity fees. Participation fees cover the cost of a broad range of regulatory services, while activity fees are charged at flat rates and cover the costs of reviewing various regulatory documents, such as registration applications.
OSC Notice 13-707Fees under OSC Rule 13-502 Fees and OSC Rule 13-503 (Commodity Futures Act) Fees sets out the rationale for the OSC’s decision to maintain existing rates. While fees remain unchanged, the OSC will continue to make critical investments in data and information systems, enforcement tools, facilities rehabilitation, and other technology. The OSC intends to draw down on its cash position in fiscal 2019 in order to fund these initiatives.
The OSC is committed to monitoring capital market activities and impact on cash flows to assess the appropriateness of fee rates charged to market participants.
The mandate of the OSC is to provide protection to investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices and to foster fair and efficient capital markets and confidence in the capital markets.