AMFI has reportedly asked fund houses to cough up to Rs.5 crore to recapitalize MF Utility, said three sources familiar with the development.
The trade body has recently communicated this to fund houses at the recently held AMFI board meeting.
A CEO of a large fund house requesting anonymity told Cafemutual that since MF Utility is a not for profit organisation, fund houses will have to come forward and help MF Utility sustain business
However, another CEO from a private fund house believes that AMFI should sell MF Utility to BSE or NSE. “We are in the business of fund management and running a platform like MF Utility is not our forte. Hence, AMFI should consider selling it to the existing players. In fact, BSE had shown its interest in acquiring MF Utility.”
In 2016, AMFI had constituted a group to discuss the possibility of selling stake in MF Utility to BSE. “It would be worthwhile to examine the proposal received from BSE. Seeking a mutually beneficial alliance between MF Utility and strategic parties like BSE Star MF platform with shared governance can enhance the value and business volume for MF Utility. The merger can help bring down cost per transaction for participating AMCs,” said AMFI’s previous communication.
Currently, the participating AMCs have to cough up Rs.2.50 lakh every month. Due to this flat fee structure, the cost per transaction depends on the volume of transaction and hence varies every month. Higher the volume, lower the transaction cost.