The British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) is raising its annual registration fees to enhance investor protection and securities oversight, the commission said Thursday.
The regulator is increasing a number of fees for the first time since 1994, with new rates taking effect Dec. 30. The move comes after a public consultation last spring.
Fee changes include the following:
- The annual registration fee for a dealing, advising or associate advising representative will increase by $100 to $350.
- The prospectus fee beyond the base fee will increase to 0.025% of the distributed securities’ value from 0.02%.
- The base fee for filing an exempt distribution report will rise by $100 to $200.
BCSC executive director Peter Brady said the higher fees reflect a larger and more complex securities market.
“As that market has evolved, so must the commission,” he said in a release. “For example, we are using advanced tools, such as predictive analytics, to strengthen compliance oversight and are deploying new technology to sharpen our ability to analyze market trading data.”