EC World Reit granted more time until May 2026 to submit resumption proposal

[SINGAPORE] EC World Real Estate Investment Trust’s (ECW) application for more time to submit a resumption proposal was approved by the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading (SGX-ST), the Reit manager said in a bourse filing on Tuesday (Dec 16).

The waiver, valid until May 31, 2026, was granted on several conditions. This includes announcing the granting of the waiver, the reasons for seeking the waiver, as well as SGX-ST’s considerations.

ECW and its manager are also required to submit a written confirmation that they are not aware of any information that will have a material bearing on investors’ decisions. “SGX-ST had considered that ECW required more time to work on its proposals to meet its loan repayment obligations,” the Reit manager noted.

These proposals cover four aspects, one of them the progress on ECW’s appeal against the judgments on the invalidity and revocation of the relevant mortgages over Fuzhou E-Commerce. The asset was one of the three properties owned by ECW that were mortgaged without its consent or knowledge in November 2023.

The second aspect is the potential global settlement arrangement for the repayment of outstanding receivables. Third, the potential internalisation of the Reit management function of ECW. Lastly, the potential divestment of one or more of the Stage 1 Properties of Bei Gang Logistics and Chongxian Port Logistics.

The Reit manager said that it had sought the waiver to work on resolving the material uncertainties related to some of these proposals, as well as the reorganisation of the sponsor Forchn Holdings and its potential impact on ECW, among other things.

A bourse update on Nov 27 indicated that a local court in Fuyang, Hangzhou, had in April dismissed ECW’s applications for orders on the invalidity and revocation of the unauthorised mortgages related to Fuzhou E-Commerce. The group’s Chinese legal counsel had recommended filing an appeal against these judgments.

The manager said then that its maximum financial risk exposure was estimated to be 268.6 million yuan (S$48.7 million).

Additionally, Fuyang Futoufa, a financial institution in Hangzhou, has initiated two separate cases against three of ECW’s subsidiaries.

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The manager said that it believes it is in the interest of unitholders to resolve these issues before trading in its units resumes. This would “reduce the risk of ECW facing enforcement action from its lenders and other operational difficulties moving forward”. ECW’s units have been suspended from trading on SGX since Aug 31, 2023.