BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) has developed two marketing initiatives for its H-shares Index Futures contract that will be introduced for trading on Monday, 8 December 2003.

    One of the initiatives, Incentive Program, is to encourage early individual investor participation in the market. A $50 supermarket gift coupon will be awarded to the buyers and/or sellers of each of the first 800 H-shares Index Futures contracts traded through Futures Exchange Participants¡¯ client accounts, excluding Block Trades and Average Price Trades.

    The Reward Programme is to encourage futures exchange participants to promote the new product. Participants will receive $2.5 for each H-shares Index Futures contract traded via their client accounts between 8 December 2003 and 7 March 2004.

    In addition to the marketing initiatives, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) will waive the SFC Levy from 8 December 2003 to 7 June 2004 to support the development of the H-shares Index Futures market. The SFC Levy per H-shares Index Futures contract per side is $1. Enditem