BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – UOB Asset Management Brunei (UOBAM Brunei) and Standard Chartered Securities (SCS) on Friday launched the United Sustainable Credit Income Fund (USCIF), the first sustainable fixed income fund that offers retail investors in Brunei access to bonds from companies that are making progress in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UN SDGs set the global agenda for sustainable economic, social and environmental developments to be achieved by 2030.

Through the USCIF, which is distributed exclusively in Brunei by SCS, local investors can invest for the first time into the underlying fund, RobecoSAM SDG Credit Income Fund. The underlying fund is managed by international asset manager Robeco, a global leader in sustainable investing.

Dharmo Soejanto, head of Investment Partnerships and Solutions at UOBAM said: “At UOBAM, we recognise that we have a key role in steering consumer wealth to sustainable investments. We are excited to offer USCIF in Brunei through working with like-minded partners such as SCS, making sustainable funds more accessible to individual investors.

“As more investors look to incorporate environmental, social and governance considerations into their portfolios, we will continue to provide solutions that enable investing for profit and purpose.”

The multi-sector USCIF is available in the dividend-paying and accumulative classes, as well as in both the US Dollar and Singapore Dollar (hedged).

The fund aims to offer stable income to investors through monthly dividend distributions of four per cent for the ‘A’ Singapore Dollar distribution fund class.

Brenda Low, CEO of SCS, said: “Standard Chartered’s Sustainable Investing Review 20214, an annual investor survey, shows that sustainable investing is at a tipping point. Interest in sustainable investing is at an all-time high at 81 percent of the total group surveyed.

“Sixty-one percent already hold sustainable investments compared with 54 percent in 2020, while 13 percent of investors have more than 25 percent of total investments channelled into sustainable solutions, compared with just two per cent in 2020,” she said.

“These trends are encouraging. With the launch of the USCIF, we are widening our range of sustainable solutions for investors to gain beyond returns to positive impact. This will enable them to use their wealth to help solve the pressing challenges faced by the world, from economic and social inequalities to the catastrophic effects of climate change.”

Apart from the USCIF, SCS also distributes other UOBAM funds such as the United SGD Fund, United Global Quality Growth Fund and United Healthcare Fund.

In conjunction with the launch of USCIF, SCS hosted a webinar today for 100 clients.

Dharmo Soejanto and Shankar Panchadcharam from UOBAM shared their insights on sustainable investing during a fireside chat moderated by Hazwan Kamarulzaman from SCS.

The first 100 SCS customers who subscribe to the USCIF will receive BND$20 worth of the fund units.

Customers who subscribe to any UOBAM funds from today till March 31, 2022 will also automatically qualify for a lucky draw with a chance to win BND$500 worth of units in either the USCIF or United SGD Fund.

Potential investors are required to complete a client risk profiling assessment to ensure that they understand their risk appetite before taking up any wealth products.

For more information, please visit this link.

Investors who wish to know more about SCS wealth products and services can get in touch with their licensed relationship managers or wealth consultants by visiting this link.

Investors can also follow the Bank’s Facebook and Instagram pages for more updates.