Issuing Procedure

Treasury bills are sold using the auction procedure. The Treasury entertains both competitive and non-competitive tenders for T-Bills. Government securities firms, individuals, financial and non-financial companies usually participate in the bidding. In competitive bids, the quantity of desired T-bills are specified with lowest interest rates which the buyer is willing to accept. (However, treasury rules prohibit any single bidder from obtaining more than 35 percent of any new issue.) The competitive tenders are typically submitted by large investors, banks and securities dealers. The non-competitive bids are submitted by small investors and their bidding amount is limited to $1 million or less. A non-competitive bidder accepts the weighted average interest rate of the competitive bids and these bids state only the quantity of bills desired.

in UK, all new issues are scheduled and are made through auctions with the details being announced in advance. Private investors may bid for gilts at auctions on a non-competitive basis and receive the gilt at the weighted average of the price paid by successful competitive bidders. The minimum for this type of application is 1000 nominal of the gilt and the maximum is 500,000. Investors making non-competitive bids at the auction are asked to enclose a cheque for a specified amount per 100 nominal bid for. If the eventual price is less, the difference is refunded - if greater, a further payment will be asked for.