Who's looking after equity markets for growth companies?

Sign the petition here http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/equityfunding/

The Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA) has called on the Government to set up a working group to design an appropriate structure for UK equity markets in response to a series of measures that threaten their structure and operation. Together, the proposals could significantly harm the attractiveness of the UK’s dedicated growth markets – AIM and PLUS-quoted – where smaller companies currently seek vital funds, at a time when banks are reluctant to lend to them.

The letter from Tim Ward, Chief Executive of the QCA, the representative body for the UK’s small and mid-cap quoted companies, to Chancellor Alistair Darling, highlights a lack of strategic coordination and the danger to equity markets for smaller companies that are essential to the UK economy. It highlights the measures regarding the prospectus directive, standard listings and tax rules and seeks a review considering the overall function and operation of equity markets as a whole rather than a piecemeal approach regulation of the equity markets. Read the full letter here. 

For further information go to http://www.quotedcompaniesalliance.co.uk/

Ash Mehta is a member of the Executive Committee of the Quoted Companies Alliance.