PRA SS for FIRE-FR8959-Nov 12 2008(2)

PRA SS for FIRE-FR8959-Nov 12 2008(2).doc

Form F-4 - Registration Statement

OMB: 3235-0325

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5


SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR

FOREIGN ISSUER REPORTING ENHANCEMENTS AMENDMENTS


A. Justification


1. Necessity of Information Collection


The amendments to Form 20-F, Form F-1, Form F-3, and Form F-4 will revise the annual report and registration statement forms used by foreign private issuers to improve certain disclosures provided in these forms. The amendments will:


    • Eliminate an instruction to Item 17 of Form 20-F that permits certain foreign private issuers to omit segment data from their U.S. GAAP financial statements (Amendment A);

    • Eliminate the availability of the limited U.S. GAAP reconciliation option that is contained in Item 17 of Form 20-F for annual reports filed on Form 20-F, as well as for certain non-capital raising offerings made on Forms F-1, F-3 and F-4 (Amendment B);

    • Require disclosure in annual reports filed on Form 20-F and in initial registration statements filed on Forms F-1 and F-4 about any changes in the registrant’s certifying accountant (Amendment C);

    • Require disclosure in Form 20-F annual reports of the fees and other charges paid by holders of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) to depositaries, as well as any payments made by depositaries to the foreign private issuers whose securities underlie the ADRs (Amendment D); and

    • Require disclosure in Form 20-F annual reports of the significant differences in the corporate governance practices of listed foreign private issuers compared to the corporate governance practices applicable to domestic companies under the relevant exchange’s listing standards (Amendment E).


  1. Purposes of, and Consequences of Not Requiring, the Information Collection


The purpose of the amendments is to improve the accessibility of the U.S. public capital markets for foreign private issuers, as well as to enhance the information that is available to investors.


  1. Role of Improved Information Technology and Obstacles to Reducing Burden


All forms affected by the amendments are electronically filed with the Commission using the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (EDGAR) system.


  1. Efforts to Identify Duplication


Not applicable.




  1. Effect on Small Entities


The amendments to Form 20-F would affect foreign issuers, which are not small entities.


  1. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection


The amendments relate to disclosure required to be filed with the Commission for foreign private issuers. If we were to require less frequent collection of this information, investors would be less informed about the condition and securities of foreign private issuers that are listed and/or being registered for sale in the United States.


  1. Inconsistencies with Guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2)


Not applicable.


  1. Consultations Outside the Agency


On February 29, 2008, the Commission issued a proposing release soliciting comment on the collection of information requirements and the associated paperwork burdens. Comments were due by May 12, 2008, 60 days after the release was published in the Federal Register. Comments were received from registrants, investors and other market participants. On September 23, 2008, the Commission published a final release adopting all but one of the amendments that it had proposed.


  1. Payment or Gift to Respondents


Not applicable.


  1. Assurance of Confidentiality


Not applicable.


  1. Sensitive Questions


Not applicable.


12. Estimate of Respondent Reporting Burden and Estimated Annualized Cost Burden, and Explanation of Changes in Burden

The Commission’s estimate of the average burden hours that will be imposed as a result of the amendments is set forth below. Our estimates represent the average burden for all companies.


We estimate that the amendments to Forms 20-F, and to Forms F-1, F-3, and F-4 (where relevant) will cause the following percentage increase in the burdens associated with each form:


Amendment A – 2%

Amendment B – 2%

Amendment C –.75%

Amendment D –.25%

Amendment E – No change


Table 1 below illustrates the incremental annual compliance burden increase of the collection of information in hours and the cost increase for each of the amendments to Form 20-F. Each amendment is referred to in a manner consistent with the response to A.1. above. The numbers of estimated responses affected by the amendments for each form (Column B) are based on the number of each form that were filed during the 2007 calendar year. The estimates are based on the assumption that the total number of annual responses (Column A) will not change. Accordingly, no adjustment was made to the total number of annual responses for each form.


In calculating the Company Hours per response (Column D) and Professional Hours per response (Column E) for Form 20-F filed by foreign private issuers, we estimate that 25% of the burden is carried by the company internally and that 75% of the burden is carried by outside professionals retained by the company. The portion of the burden carried by the company internally is reflected in hours (Column D). The portion of the burden carried by outside professionals is reflected as a cost in dollars at an average cost of $400 per hour (Column F).


Table 1: Calculation of Incremental PRA Burden Estimates for Form 20-F Amendments

Pro-posal

Annual

Responses

(A)

Estimated

Responses

(B)

Total Hours/Resp.

(C)

Company Hours/Response

(D)

Outside Hours/Resp.

(E)

Cost/Response (@$400/hr)

(F)


A

942

5

52.22

13.055

39.165

$15,666

B

942

200

52.22

13.055

39.165

$15,666

C

942

90

19.58

4.895

14.685

$5,874

D

942

442

6.53

1.63

4.9

$19,608









Table 2 below illustrates the incremental annual compliance burden increase of the collection of information in hours and the cost increase for the amendments to Forms F-1, F-3, and F-4. The amendments are referred to in a manner consistent with the response to A.1. above. The numbers of estimated responses affected by the amendments for each form (Column B) are based on the number of each form that were filed during the 2007 calendar year. The estimates are based on the assumption that the total number of annual responses (Column A) will not change. Accordingly, no adjustment was made to the total number of annual responses for each form.


In calculating the Company Hours per response (Column D) and Professional Hours per response (Column E) for Forms F-1, F-3 and F-4 filed by foreign private issuers, we estimate that 25% of the burden is carried by the company internally and that 75% of the burden is carried by outside professionals retained by the company. The portion of the burden carried by the company internally is reflected in hours (Column D). The portion of the burden carried by outside professionals is reflected as a cost in dollars at an average cost of $400 per hour (Column F).



Table 2: Calculation of Incremental PRA Burden Estimates for Other Forms

Form and


Pro-posal

Annual

Responses

(A)

Estimated

Responses

(B)

Total Hours/Resp.

(C)

Company Hours/Response

(D)

Outside Hours/Resp.

(E)

Cost/Response (@$400/hr)

(F)


F-1

39






B

39

0

0

0

0

0

C

39

4

13.5

3.375

10.125

$4,050








F-3







B

106

20

3.32

.83

2.49

$996








F-4

68






B


0

0

0

0

0

C

68

5

10.81

2.7

8.11

3,244


Table 3 below illustrates the total annual compliance burden of the collection of information in hours and in cost. The burden was calculated by adding the incremental burdens to the existing burdens. We have based our estimated number of annual responses on the number of filings during the 2007 fiscal year.


Table 3: Estimates of Hour and Cost Burdens

Form

Type

Annual Responses


Current Total Hours/Form


Approved Annual Time Burden

New Hours/Form

Requested Annual Burden Hours

Approved Cost Burden

(x$1000)

Requested Cost Burden

(x$1000)

Program Change Hours

Program Change Cost

(x$1000)

20-F

942

2,611

614,891

2,627

618,894

737,868.6

742,474.980

4003

4,606.38

F-1

42

1,799

17,540

1800

18,900

21,048.3

22,667.4

1360

$1,619.1

F-3

106

166

4,399

167

4,426

5,278.8

5,310.6

27

$31.8

F-4

68

1,441

24,497

1442

24,514

29,396.4

29, 416.8

17

$20.4






13. Estimate of Cost to the Federal Government


The estimated cost to the federal government of preparing the amendments was approximately $40,000.


14. Information Collections Planned for Statistical Purposes


Not applicable.


15. Explanation as to Why the Expiration Date Will Not be Displayed


Not applicable.


16. Exceptions to Certification


Not applicable.


B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods


Not applicable.

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