The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has just announced that with effect from 1 February 2017, all individual applicants and licensees will be required to submit their licensing applications, notifications and annual returns via the SFC Online Portal, with the view of improving the efficiency of processing licensing-related matters.
This will not apply to corporate applicants and intermediaries who may continue to submit their applications, notifications and annual returns either in the paper form or via the SFC Online Portal.
The SFC will introduce new forms and a transition period to facilitate the implementation of this initiative.