A Study on Statutory Reforms Activating Real Estate Investment Trusts
Korea adopted REITs (real estate investment trusts) in 1997, after the IMF financial crisis for political purpose helping stagnant economic recovery. Since July, 2001, after adop...
A Study on Statutory Reforms Activating Real Estate Investment Trusts
Korea adopted REITs (real estate investment trusts) in 1997, after the IMF financial crisis for political purpose helping stagnant economic recovery. Since July, 2001, after adopting real estate investment company, the government has tried to reflect demands of market or prevent side effects of the system through no more than a series of revision of law and improvement of a system. In spite of these efforts, REITs of Korea has not been vitalized fully compared with the one of the major advanced countries such as the US etc. It is the stage that is already 14 years after REITs was adopted to consider for taking off, and it depends on promoting mature market environment.
Real estate investment company is the corporation, indirect real estate investment institute that invests and manages on real estate raising funds from many investors and give the profit back to investors and it is a means of investment that is subject to the "real estate investment corporation act".
As it is mentioned at the purposes of "real estate investment corporation act", the essential distinction of real estate investment company is giving a lot of opportunities of investment to people, seeking for stable profit structure and getting benefits of tax.
For these characteristics, the problems of Korea's real estate investment corporation are as follow. First, there are many process restrictions related to establishment and organization of corporation like business licensing of real estate investment corporation. Second, these restrictions infringe on freedom during the work proceedings such as detail asset management after establishing real estate investment company. Third, ignoring the characteristic as indirect investment institution, there is a problem to hinder the system vitalization due to difference and complexity between rules of tax laws and not giving tax benefits to self-administrated real estate investment company by making a mockery of a trial. Forth, real estate investment corporation act of Korea is lack of unity from the side of overall legal system. Fifth, real estate investment company relatively was treated unfairly owing to restrictions of legal form compared with other real estate indirect investment institutes, and it infringes market's autonomy. Sixth, monitoring and supervisory function of ministry of land, infrastructure and transport and financial services commission having ministry of land, infrastructure and transport, business licensed department and supervisory function are overlapping, and there is a problem about protecting the investor like offering information such as notifying data in respect of investors.
Last, it is unsupported by the circumstances like infrastructure regarding to real estate investment company.
Likewise, I, the writer suggests detail improvement plans about the problems mentioned above with 7 points of real estate investment company. First, in regard to establishment and organization of corporation like business consent of real estate investment company etc., it rejects conformity on establishment method of companies, and it needs to remove the controls of entry steps such as improving the process of business licensing or switching the system to registration system. Second, autonomy of working process, work commitment and asset portfolio like asset management of real estate investment company needs to be expanded. Third, double taxation between asset possessor, real estate investment company and investor needs to be adjusted with the clear characteristic as an indirect investment organization, and complex overhaul of the tax system such as improving conflict between regulations of taxation and unclear articles is necessary. Fourth, it is necessary to be under the laws of indirect investment organization related to real estate investment company that is enforcing with the institutional base by each law or each article. Fifth, diverse organization forms needs to be accepted except company type like other real estate indirect investment organizations by solving formal discrimination according to the restriction of legal form of real estate investment company. Sixth, investors protective function needs to be expanded through improvement of a system for securing effectiveness of data notifying and information offering about investors related to data notifying etc., and clarifying department of management and supervisory institution. Last, it needs to be supported by circumstances for large scale of REITs establishment through role expansion of REITs association and infra advancement of real estate investment company etc.
I would love to support advancement of REITs with improvement plans by dealing with problems about system and other problems that current real estate investment company system faced like this. Moreover, for meeting purpose of introduction of "real estate investment corporation act", it demands interest of a person in charge of its affairs, government and a law-making organ in each related field.