Sparx Holdings Group (SHGI) Risk Analysis
Risk Overview Q2, 2017
Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Jun 30, 2017, filed Aug 21, 2017
Risk Change Over Time
No filing history is available.
Risk Highlights Q2, 2017
Risk Word Cloud
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 24
- Regulation - Risk 1The PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain. Any changes in such PRC laws and regulations may have a material and adverse effect on our business.
The PRC's legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes, in which system-decided legal cases have little value as precedents unlike the common law system prevalent in the United States. There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations, including but not limited to the laws and regulations governing our business, or the enforcement and performance of our arrangements with customers in the event of the imposition of statutory liens, death, bankruptcy and/or criminal proceedings. The Chinese government has been developing a comprehensive system of commercial laws, and considerable progress has been made in introducing laws and regulations dealing with economic matters such as foreign investment, corporate organization and governance, commerce, taxation and trade. However, because these laws and regulations are relatively new, and because of the limited volume of published cases and judicial interpretation and their lack of force as precedents, interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve significant uncertainties that are unclear at this time. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively. We are considered a "foreign persons" or "foreign funded" enterprise under PRC laws, and as a result, we are required to comply with PRC laws and regulations. We cannot predict what effect the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations may have on our businesses. If the relevant authorities find us in violation of any PRC laws or regulations, they would have broad discretion in dealing with such a violation, including, without limitation: - levying fines; - revoking our business and other licenses; - requiring that we restructure our ownership or operations; and/or - requiring that we discontinue any portion or all of our business operations in the PRC.
- Regulation - Risk 2We are employing a VIE structure, which could materially adversely affect our business operations if current regulations change in the PRC regarding VIE's.
In order to comply with PRC regulatory requirements, we operate our businesses operations through companies in the PRC with which we have contractual relationships, but in which we do not have controlling ownership. We cannot be sure that the PRC government will continue to view our operating arrangements to be in compliance with PRC regulations if any new laws regarding operating businesses in the PRC through VIEs may be adopted in the future. If we are determined not to be in compliance, the PRC government could levy fines, revoke our business and operating licenses, require us to discontinue or restrict our operations, restrict our right to collect revenues, require us to restructure our business, corporate structure or operations, impose additional conditions or requirements with which we may not be able to comply, impose restrictions on our business operations or on our customers, or take other regulatory or enforcement actions against us that could be harmful to our business. In addition, our Exclusive Option Agreement with SSIC, JinGuan and DYM and its shareholders gives our Chinese subsidiary, SBCL, the option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in them. The option may not be exercised by SBCL if the exercise would violate any applicable laws and regulations in China or cause any license or permit held by, and necessary for the operation of SSIC, JinGuan and DYM, to be cancelled or invalidated. Under the laws of China, if a foreign entity, through a foreign investment company that it invests in, acquires a domestic related company, China's regulations regarding mergers and acquisitions may technically apply to the transaction. If these regulations apply, an examination and approval of the transaction by China's Ministry of Commerce ("MOFCOM"), or its local counterparts would be required. In addition, an appraisal of the equity interest or the assets to be acquired would also be mandatory. Since the scope of business activities (mining operations and consulting services), as defined in the business license of SBCL, does not involve the MOFCOM approval and monitoring, we do not believe at this time that an approval or an appraisal is required for SBCL to exercise its option to acquire SSIC, JinGuan and DYM. In light of the different views on this issue, however, it is possible that the central MOFCOM office in Beijing will issue a standardized opinion imposing the approval and appraisal requirement. If we are not able to purchase the equity of SSIC, JinGuan and DYM, then we will lose a substantial portion of our ability to control SSIC, JinGuan and DYM and our ability to ensure that SSIC, JinGuan and DYM will act in our interests. Our business in the PRC could be materially adversely affected if there are any changes to current regulations in the PRC which would affect our business operations and current business agreements with our PRC operating company and its subsidiaries and VIEs, resulting in a loss of any investment you make in our shares.
- Regulation - Risk 3Failure to comply with PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident stockholders to personal liability, limit our ability to acquire PRC companies or to inject capital into the operating PRC subsidiaries and/or VIEs of BSL, limit BSL's PRC subsidiaries'/VIEs' ability to distribute profits to us or otherwise materially adversely affect us.
In October 2005, SAFE issued a public notice, the Notice on Relevant Issues in the Foreign Exchange Control over Financing and Return Investment Through Special Purpose Companies by Residents Inside China, or the SAFE Notice, which requires PRC residents to register with the competent local SAFE branch before using onshore assets or equity interests held by them to establish offshore special purpose companies, or SPVs, for the purpose of overseas equity financing. Under the SAFE Notice, such PRC residents must also file amendments to their registration in connection with any increase or decrease of capital, transfer of shares, mergers and acquisitions, equity investment or creation of any security interest in any assets located in China to guarantee offshore obligations. Moreover, if the SPVs were established and owned the onshore assets or equity interests before the implementation date of the SAFE Notice, a retroactive SAFE registration is required to have been completed before March 31, 2006. If any PRC resident stockholder of any SPV fails to make the required SAFE registration and amended registration, the PRC subsidiaries of that SPV may be prohibited from distributing their profits and the proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to the SPV. Failure to comply with the SAFE registration and amendment requirements described above could also result in liability under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions. Because of uncertainty over how the SAFE Notice will be interpreted and implemented, and how or whether SAFE will apply it to us, we cannot predict how it will affect our business operations or future strategies. For example, BSL's present and prospective PRC subsidiaries' ability to conduct foreign exchange activities, such as the remittance of dividends and foreign currency-denominated borrowings, may be subject to compliance with the SAFE Notice by our PRC resident beneficial holders. In addition, such PRC residents may not always be able to complete the necessary registration procedures required by the SAFE Notice. We also have little control over either our present or prospective direct or indirect stockholders or the outcome of such registration procedures. A failure by our PRC resident beneficial holders or future PRC resident stockholders to comply with the SAFE Notice, if SAFE requires it, could subject these PRC resident beneficial holders to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit BSL's subsidiaries'/VIEs' ability to make distributions or pay dividends or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.
- Regulation - Risk 4We may be unable to complete a business combination transaction efficiently or on favorable terms due to complicated merger and acquisition regulations which became effective on September 8, 2006.
On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, including the China Securities Regulatory Commission or CSRC, promulgated the Regulation on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, which became effective on September 8, 2006. This new regulation, governs the approval process by which a PRC company may participate in an acquisition of assets or equity interests. Depending on the structure of the transaction, the new regulation will require the PRC parties to make a series of applications and supplemental applications to the government agencies. In some instances, the application process may require the presentation of economic data concerning a transaction, including appraisals of the target business and evaluations of the acquirer, which are designed to allow the government to assess the transaction. Government approvals will have expiration dates by which a transaction must be completed and reported to the government agencies. Compliance with the new regulations is likely to be more time consuming and expensive than in the past and the government can now exert more control over the combination of two businesses. Accordingly, due to the new regulation, our ability to engage in business combination transactions has become significantly more complicated, time consuming and expensive, and we may not be able to negotiate a transaction that is acceptable to our stockholders or sufficiently protect their interests in a transaction. The new regulation allows PRC government agencies to assess the economic terms of a business combination transaction. Parties to a business combination transaction may have to submit to the Ministry of Commerce and other relevant government agencies an appraisal report, an evaluation report and the acquisition agreement, all of which form part of the application for approval, depending on the structure of the transaction. The regulations also prohibit a transaction at an acquisition price obviously lower than the appraised value of the PRC business or assets and in certain transaction structures, require that consideration must be paid within defined periods, generally not in excess of a year. The regulation also limits our ability to negotiate various terms of the acquisition, including aspects of the initial consideration, contingent consideration, holdback provisions, indemnification provisions and provisions relating to the assumption and allocation of assets and liabilities. Transaction structures involving trusts, nominees and similar entities are prohibited. Therefore, such regulation may impede our ability to negotiate and complete a business combination transaction on financial terms that satisfy our investors and protect our stockholders' economic interests. In addition to the above risks, in many instances, we will seek to structure transactions in a manner that avoids the need to make applications or a series of applications with Chinese regulatory authorities under these new M&A regulations. If we fail to effectively structure an acquisition in a manner that avoids the need for such applications or if the Chinese government interprets the requirements of the new M&A regulations in a manner different from our understanding of such regulations, then acquisitions that we have effected may be unwound or subject to rescission. Also, if the Chinese government determines that our structure of any of our acquisitions does not comply with these new regulations, then we may also be subject to fines and penalties.
- Regulation - Risk 5Under the New EIT Law, we may be classified as a "resident enterprise" of China. Such classification will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC stockholders.
China passed a new Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the New EIT Law, and its implementing rules, both of which became effective on January 1, 2008. Under the New EIT Law, an enterprise established outside of China with "de facto management bodies" within China is considered a "resident enterprise," meaning that it can be treated in a manner similar to a Chinese enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes. The implementing rules of the New EIT Law define de facto management as "substantial and overall management and control over the production and operations, personnel, accounting, and properties" of the enterprise. Because the New EIT Law and its implementing rules are new, no official interpretation or application of this new "resident enterprise" classification is available. Therefore, it is unclear how tax authorities will determine tax residency based on the facts of each case. If the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a "resident enterprise" for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. First, we may be subject to the enterprise income tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide taxable income as well as PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. In our case, this would mean that income such as interest on offering proceeds and non-China source income would be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Second, although under the New EIT Law and its implementing rules dividends paid to us from BSL's PRC subsidiaries/VIEs currently qualify as "tax-exempt income," we cannot guarantee that such dividends will not be subject to a 10% withholding tax, as the PRC foreign exchange control authorities, which enforce the withholding tax, have not yet issued guidance with respect to the processing of outbound remittances to entities that are treated as resident enterprises for PRC enterprise income tax purposes. Finally, it is possible that future guidance issued with respect to the new "resident enterprise" classification could result in a situation in which a 10% withholding tax is imposed on dividends we pay to our non-PRC stockholders and with respect to gains derived by our non-PRC stockholders from transferring our shares. We are actively monitoring the possibility of "resident enterprise" treatment for the 2009 tax year and are evaluating appropriate organizational changes to avoid this treatment, to the extent possible. If we were treated as a "resident enterprise" by PRC tax authorities, we would be subject to taxation in both the U.S. and China, and our PRC tax may not be creditable against any U.S. taxes we may owe.
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