Boutique dealers have been feeling the heat thanks to the unprecedented rise in operating costs over the past few years. The plight of small dealers has coincided with the collapse of the public venture market, says Ian Russell, president and CEO of the Investment Industry Association of Canada (IIAC), in his latest industry letter.
Russell argues that the Venture Exchange will “collapse into insignificance unless remedial action is taken in fairly short order.” He makes the following recommendations:
1. Regulators should dispense with the “crowd-funding” initiative. The TSXV is a far more effective vehicle for raising capital than crowd-funding, and provides far better protection for investors.
2. Regulators should work with the TSXV to reduce and streamline administrative and regulatory costs for small listed companies, and assist in initiatives to attract capital to the Venture Exchange.
3. Regulators should continue efforts to improve and harmonize prospectus exemptions.
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