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SAFE News
  • Index number:
    000014453-2019-0035
  • Dispatch date:
    2011-07-11
  • Publish organization:
    State Administration of Foreign Exchange
  • Exchange Reference number:
  • Name:
    Circular of the SAFE on Imposing Penalties upon Some Enterprises and Individuals Illegally Conducting Foreign Exchange Transactions (III)
Circular of the SAFE on Imposing Penalties upon Some Enterprises and Individuals Illegally Conducting Foreign Exchange Transactions (III)

To maintain the economic and financial security of the state and to crack down strongly on cross-border flows of illegal and irregular funds, such as "hot money", the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (hereinafter referred to as the "SAFE") revealed two groups of cases involving some enterprises and individuals that had illegally conducted foreign exchange transactions and were subjected to penalties on November 1, 2010 and December 10, 2010 respectively. Now, a third group of such cases, based on the progress of the relevant inspections, is announced as follows:

I. From January to March 2010, a total of 21 customs declarations of Guangzhou Couger Metal Material Ltd. failed to go through the registration procedures for the withdrawal of deferred foreign exchange payments for imports as per the relevant provisions, with the illegal amount amounting to USD1.2927 million. The above behavior was deemed to be in violation of the relevant provisions for the registration of external debt, and the SAFE thereby rendered a decision to impose a fine as an administrative penalty upon the said company pursuant to the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Foreign Exchange Administration (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations").

II. From January 2009 to June 2010, Shenzhen Mission Hills Golf Club Co., Ltd. directly collected a total of HKD21.3265 million in cash paid by customers for consumption, and then settled HKD16.0375 million in RMB in the name of company's staff. RMB13.9479 million was deposited into the account of the company. The above behavior was deemed to be in violation of the relevant provisions on the administration of collections and payments of foreign currency by domestic institutions and in violation of the legal handling of foreign exchange settlements. Hence, the SAFE rendered a decision to impose a fine as an administrative penalty upon the said company pursuant to the Regulations.

III. From May to July 2009, Power-One Co., Ltd. in Shenzhen city, claiming business travel expenses, collected payment for sale of goods with an actual amount higher than the figure on the customs declarations form through four transactions totaling USD2.98 million. The above behavior with respect to the inward remittances of foreign exchange was in violation of the relevant provisions, and the SAFE thereby rendered a decision to impose a fine as an administrative penalty upon the said company pursuant to the Regulations.

IV. During the period from April to November 2009, a person surnamed Zhang, a local citizen in Zhejiang province, in the name of 14 company employees, collected and settled USD799,800 from Hong Kong, and the settled RMB was transferred to Zhang's personal account. The above behavior constituted a split settlement of foreign exchange and was deemed to be in violation of the relevant provisions on the administration of personal foreign exchange.  The SAFE thereby rendered a decision to impose a fine on Zhang as an administrative penalty  pursuant to the Regulations.

V. From November to December 2009, Lingguo Ecological Agriculture Co., Ltd. in Rugao city, Jiangsu province, by virtue of the equipment purchase contract signed with Haoli Trading Co., Ltd. in Qidong city, Jiangsu province, settled USD4.1 million of foreign exchange. However, it failed to utilize the settled RMB in the way for which it was applied, but it instead transferred the settled RMB14.9894 million to Haoli Trading Co., Ltd. under the current account. The above behavior constituted a change of purpose for settled foreign exchange and was deemed to be in violation of the relevant provisions on the administration of foreign exchange settlement.  The SAFE thereby rendered a decision to impose a fine upon the said company an administrative penalty pursuant to the Regulations.

VI. From June to September 2008, Jiangbo Century (Laiyang) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in Shandong province settled USD27.7 million of foreign exchange for foreign investments through 3 transactions to pay for land purchases. In fact, the company did not acquire the corresponding land-use rights, and the settled capital of RMB185 million was transferred to Jiangbo Medicine Group in Yantai city and to Shandong Hilead Biotechnology Co., Ltd. for use through various channels. The above behavior was deemed to be in violation of the relevant provisions on the administration of settlement of foreign exchange, and the SAFE thereby rendered a decision to impose a fine upon the said company as an administrative penalty pursuant to the Regulations.

VII. On June 30, 2008, after settling AUD3 million of foreign exchange from foreign investors, Aocheng Investment Consultant Co., Ltd. in Yantai city, Shandong province, on the next day transferred the settled capital of RMB19.7916 million to Baocheng Real Estate Co., Ltd. in Yantai city for an investment fund, which exceeded the normal production and business scope of the company. The above behavior was deemed to be in violation of the relevant provisions on the administration of foreign exchange settlement, and the SAFE thereby rendered a decision to impose a fine upon the said company as an administrative penalty pursuant to the Regulations.

VIII. On March 4, 2009, Xinjiang Yumei Energy Co., Ltd. applied to settle HKD79.527 to pay for the transfer of initial mining rights to New Century Mining Co., Ltd., and on the same day it made such payment to the latter. Yet on the same day both parties suspended acquisition of the mining rights and abolished the Contract for the Transfer of Mining Rights and the Contract to Mortgage Assets. On March 5, 2009, New Century Mining Co., Ltd. transferred RMB70 million of the settled foreign exchange to the corporate account of Xinjiang Yumei Energy Co., Ltd. The latter then used the capital as entrusted loans to Chongqing Xuchuan Trading Co., Ltd. The above behavior was deemed to be in violation of the relevant provisions on the administration of foreign exchange settlement, and the SAFE thereby rendered a decision to impose a fine upon the said company as an administrative penalty pursuant to the Regulations.

IX. On December 27, 2007, Jianghe Water Affairs Co., Ltd. in Jiangxi province, based on an invalid contract for the transfer of state-owned land-use rights, settled USD5 million of foreign exchange from foreign investors. On the same day, the settled RMB36.5268 thereof was transferred back to the company through Fairy Lake New City Development Co., Ltd. in Xinyu city. From June 2008 to April 2009, the settled capital of RMB24 million was transferred by Jianghe Water Affairs Co., Ltd. to securities companies and then ended up on the stock market. The above behavior was deemed to be in violation of the relevant provisions on the administration of foreign exchange settlement, and the SAFE thereby rendered a decision to impose a fine upon the said company as an administrative penalty pursuant to the Regulations.

X. During the period from January 2009 to February 2010, Feidike Beauty Equipment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in Shanghai, when exporting beauty equipment, neither applied for the verification and writing off forms for export proceeds in foreign exchange, nor underwent the customs declaration procedures, but rather exported the goods directly by an air express company. Upon collection of the foreign exchange, the company combined the export proceeds with nontrade revenue, such as R&D expenses and product freight, failed to distinguish the nature of the fund for each foreign exchange receipt, and falsely declared it as "freight", "consulting services fees", or "trade payments". The company collected a total USD7.9053 million through 22 transactions, which were declared as revenue from services trade, but as a matter of fact constituted revenue from the selling of goods. The above behavior was deemed to be in violation of the relevant provisions on the administration of the verification and writing-off of foreign exchange collections from exports as well as of the declaration of balance of payments statistics.  The SAFE thereby rendered a decision to impose a fine upon the said company as an administrative penalty pursuant to the Regulations.

All market entities shall conscientiously remain aware of their social responsibilities, and operate in a prudent and scientific manner and in strict compliance with the policies on foreign exchange administration. The penalized enterprises and individuals shall regard the penalties as warnings and henceforth always bear in mind the concept of legitimate operations. All other enterprises and individuals shall also draw lessons from the above-mentioned cases to strengthen their self-discipline and to operate their businesses in strict accordance with the law. The SAFE shall vigorously facilitate trade and investment and enhance a service-oriented awareness so as to meet the reasonable foreign exchange demands of enterprises and individuals. Furthermore, strengthened efforts shall be made to supervise and inspect the foreign exchange business of market entities with respect to compliance with the regulations and to  crack down on the flow of "hot money", thus safeguarding the foreign-related economic and financial security of the state.



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