China's first industrial fund is likely to be set up soon in
Tianjin, in order to finance the development of a proposed
national-level economic development area, officials with the city
said yesterday.
"Preparations are under way, and (the fund) will probably start
operating shortly," said Li Yali, director of the city's
Development and Reform Commission.
The Bohai Industrial Fund is expected to raise 20 billion yuan
(US$2.4 billion) from the public to fund the industrial development
and infrastructure construction of the Binhai New Area (BNA) to be
set up in Tianjin. The first issuance will total 5 billion yuan
(US$617 million). A company will be set up to manage the funds.
Li said the city is also planning a new reinsurance company to
support the growth of the BNA, but declined to give any further
details.
"We are also going to establish a reinsurance company for the
Binhai New Area," he told China Daily. "We are still
working on the plan."
Dai Xianglong, mayor of Tianjin, said the establishment of
industrial funds will help reduce the Chinese economy's heavy
reliance on indirect financing, or bank loans. The state has been
trying to promote direct financing in recent years, including the
stock market and bond market.
The?National Development and Reform Commission approved the
proposal by Tianjin last November to establish the nation's first
mutual fund that invests in industrial projects. Many mutual funds
have been set up in recent years to invest in the capital
market.
Tianjin will also experiment with the trading of industrial
funds, so that, "through certain markets and trading platforms, (we
can) make it become liquid," Pi Qiansheng, chairman of the BNA's
Administrative Commission, said without elaborating.
"We are drafting a plan, which will be submitted to the State
Council for approval," he added.
(China Daily March 10, 2006)