Railpen Investments publishes Hong Kong investment governance policy

The governance policy will be distributed to all the Hong Kong-based companies Railpen invests in – and will be used as the basis for discussion on corporate governance issues.

Railpen said the policy reflected the pension fund’s commitment to promoting corporate governance and best practice to the companies it invests in – especially as its overseas equity portfolio increases.

Railpen’s head of corporate governance Frank Curtiss said: "Hong Kong is a major market for us and as long term investors we have a strong interest in encouraging best practice in corporate governance there.

"Like many other overseas investors, we regard Hong Kong as a well regulated market with a strong securities regulator and enforcement regime," Curtiss said.

"The Far East is an economically dynamic market and good governance will support its rapid growth."

The policy was developed together with RiskMetrics Group and the Asian Corporate Governance Association, and is aimed at helping explain Railpen’s approach to voting at general meetings of shareholders in Hong Kong.