**BISX Now A Member of IOSCO**
At its 28th annual conference held in Seoul, South Korea the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) accepted the Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX) as an affiliate member. IOSCO is considered the world’s most important international cooperative forum for securities regulatory agencies, with members regulating more than 90% of securities markets globally. The Securities Commission of the Bahamas is a full (Ordinary) member of IOSCO.
This affiliation is considered by industry sources as a “significant achievement”, given the fact that BISX has been operating for three years only. BISX Chairman Ian Fair also points out that the membership will facilitate access to industry information and BISX’s involvement at the international level.
The theme of this year’s IOSCO conference was “New Challenges for Securities Markets and Regulators” – chosen in recognition that recent high profile corporate failures and other world events have raised important regulatory challenges that securities regulators must address. IOSCO says maintaining the integrity of international capital markets is a crucial part of the core mission of securities regulators: *the protection of investors*.
**International Security Listing**
BISX recently announced that it has acquired its first international security listing, the Grace Caribbean Fixed Income Fund, administered by Grace, Kennedy Capital Services Ltd, Cayman Islands. Fidelity Merchant Bank and Trust of Nassau sponsored the listing, and will act as a sub distributor for the fund, a fully owned subsidiary of the Jamaican-based Grace, Kennedy and Company Limited.
Chairman Ian Fair and BISX Acting Executive Director Keith Davies say this secondary listing of an international security presents the exchange as “a serious international player”, and that the exchange will seek to acquire additional international listings. Continued Mr. Davies, *”It is going to be a growth sector for BISX, and with the proliferation of hedge funds around the world we see opportunities to attract credible new listings to The Bahamas”.*