UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20549
FORM 40-F
[ ]
|
REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION
12 OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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OR
[X]
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ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13(a) OR
15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934
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For the fiscal year ended:
December 31, 2017
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Commission File Number:
001-35043
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GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
British Columbia, Canada
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1040
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98-1020854
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(Province or Other Jurisdiction of
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(Primary Standard Industrial
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(I.R.S. Employer
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Incorporation or Organization)
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Classification Code)
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Identification No.)
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1330 200 Granville Street
Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada V6C 1S4
Tel: 604-608-1766
(Address and telephone number of Registrants principal
executive offices)
National Registered Agents, Inc.
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875 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 501
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New York, New York 10001
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Tel: 1-800-550-6724
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(Name, address (including zip code) and telephone number
(including
area code) of agent for service in the United States)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to section
12(b) of the Act:
Title Of Each Class
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Name Of Each Exchange On Which
Registered
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Common Shares, no par value
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NYSE American Equities Exchange
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Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section
12(g) of the Act:
None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant
to Section 15(d) of the Act:
None
For annual reports, indicate by check mark the information
filed with this Form:
[X] Annual Information Form
|
[X] Audited Annual Financial
Statements
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Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the
Companys classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period
covered by the annual report:
168,383,000 Common Shares as at December 31,
2017
Indicate by check mark whether the Company by filing the
information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to
the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (the
Exchange Act
). If yes is marked, indicate the file number
assigned to the Company in connection with such Rule.
Yes [ ]
No [X]
Indicate by check mark whether the Company (1) has filed all
reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during
the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Company was
required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes
[X] No [ ]
Indicate by check mark whether the Company has submitted
electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive
Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation
S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such
shorter period that the Company was required to submit and post such files).
Yes [
] No [
] Not applicable [X]
ANNUAL INFORMATION FORM, AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND
MD&A
Great Panther Silver Limited (the
Company
), a Canadian
public company whose common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and
the NYSE American Equities Exchange (the
NYSE American
). It is a
foreign private issuer as defined in Rule 3b-4 under the Exchange Act, and is
eligible to file this annual report on Form 40-F pursuant to the
multi-jurisdictional disclosure system.
The following documents of the Company are filed as exhibits
to, and incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report:
Document
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Exhibit
No.
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Annual Information Form of the Company for the
year ended December 31, 2017 (the
AIF
)
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99.1
(1)
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Audited consolidated financial statements of the
Company for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, including the
reports of the auditor with respect thereto
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99.2
(1)
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Managements Discussion and Analysis of the
Company for the year ended December 31, 2017 (the
MD&A
)
|
99.3
(1)
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(1)
Filed as an exhibit hereto.
Pursuant to Rule 3a12-3 under the Exchange Act, the Companys
equity securities are exempt from sections 14(a), 14(b), 14(c), 14(f) and 16 of
the Exchange Act.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain of the statements and information in this document
constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States
"Private Securities Litigation Reform Act" of 1995 and forward-looking
information within Canadian securities laws (collectively, forward-looking
statements). All statements, other than statements of historical fact,
addressing activities, events or developments that the Company expects or
anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the words
anticipates, believes, expects, may, likely, plans, intends,
expects, may, forecast, project, budgets, potential, and outlook,
or similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may,
might, could, can, would, or will occur. Forward-looking statements
reflect the Companys current expectations and assumptions, and are subject to a
number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may
cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
In particular, this Annual Report on Form 40-F includes
forward-looking statements as noted throughout the document. These relate to
estimates, forecasts, and statements as to managements expectations with
respect to the future production of silver, gold, lead and zinc; profit,
operating costs and cash flow; grade improvements, sales volume and selling
prices of products; capital and exploration expenditures, plans, timing,
progress and expectations for the development of the Companys mines and
projects; progress in the development of mineral properties; the timing of
production and the cash and total costs of production; sensitivity of earnings
to changes in commodity prices and exchange rates; the impact of foreign
currency exchange rates; the impact of taxes and royalties; expenditures to
increase or determine reserves and resources; sufficiency of available capital
resources; expansions and acquisition plans; and the future plans and
expectations for the Companys properties and operations. Examples of specific
information in this Annual Report on Form 40-F that may constitute
forward-looking statements are:
Corporate and Operations:
-
Expectations of the Companys silver equivalent ounce
production for 2018;
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Guidance for cash cost and AISC for 2018;
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Guidance for capital expenditures and EE&D expenses for 2018
and beyond for each of the Companys operating mines and projects;
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Expectations that cash flows from operations along with current
net working capital will be sufficient to fund capital investment and
development programs for 2018 and the foreseeable future;
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Expectations regarding access to additional capital to fund
additional expansion or development plans, or to undertake an acquisition;
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Expectations in respect of permitting and development
activities; and
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The Companys objective to acquire additional mines or
projects.
The GMC:
-
The compilation and submission of technical information to
CONAGUA, and CONAGUAs review of such information is expected to continue;
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Expectations that the current tailings footprint at the GMC can
be maintained and can support operations at the GMC until at least 2022; and
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Expectations that permits associated with the use and expansion
of the TSF at the GMC will be granted in due course, with no suspension of the
GMC operations.
Topia:
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The expectation that any mitigation measures that may arise
from the PROFEPA audit of Topia will extend through 2018 and beyond; and
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Expectations that any potential gaps in existing compliance
associated with the ongoing environmental review of Topias operations will be
capable of being addressed through a mitigation plan.
Coricancha:
-
The expectation that pending proposals for modification of the
approved closure plan for Coricancha will conclude with the approval of the
authorities, which will also resolve any related fines or penalties;
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The Companys plans for Coricancha, including further
evaluations of the current mine and processing infrastructure, mine
rehabilitation and development, and environmental studies; and
-
Expectations that development in support of operations at
Coricancha could commence in 2018.
These forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a
number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the
Company as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant
business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. The
assumptions made by the Company in preparing the forward looking information
contained in this Annual Report on Form 40-F, which may prove to be incorrect,
include, but are not limited to, general business and economic conditions; the
supply and demand for, deliveries of, and the level and volatility of prices of
silver, gold, lead and zinc; expected exchange rates; expected taxes and
royalties; the likelihood or timing of the receipt of necessary regulatory and
governmental approvals; costs of production and production and productivity
levels; estimated future capital expenditures and cash flows; the continuing
availability of water and power resources for operations; the accuracy of the
interpretation and assumptions and the method or methods used in calculating
reserve and resource estimates (including with respect to size, grade and
recoverability); the accuracy of the information included or implied in the
various published technical reports; the geological, operational and price
assumptions on which these technical reports are based; conditions in the
financial markets; the ability to attract and retain skilled staff; the ability
to procure equipment and operating supplies and that there are no material
unanticipated variations in the cost of energy or supplies; the ability to
secure contracts for the sale of the Companys products (metals concentrates);
the execution and outcome of current or future exploration activities; the
ability to obtain adequate financing for planned activities and to complete
further exploration programs; the possibility of project delays and cost
overruns, or unanticipated excessive operating cost and expenses, the Companys
ability to maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting; the
ability of contractors to perform their contractual obligations; and operations
not being disrupted by issues such as mechanical failures, labor disturbances,
illegal occupations or mining, seismic events, and adverse weather
conditions.
This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any
of the Companys forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking
statements or information are statements about the future and are inherently
uncertain, and actual achievements of the Company or other future events or
conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking
statements or information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other
factors, including, without limitation, changes in commodity prices; changes in
foreign currency exchange rates; acts of foreign governments; political risk;
labor or social unrest; uncertainties related to title to the Companys mineral
properties and the surface rights thereon, including the Companys ability to
acquire, or economically acquire, the surface rights to certain of the Companys
exploration and development projects; unanticipated operational difficulties due
to adverse weather conditions, failure of plant or mine equipment and
unanticipated events related to health, safety, and environmental matters;
failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations; uncertainty
of mineral resource estimates, and deterioration of general economic
conditions.
Readers are advised to carefully review and consider the risk
factors identified in this Annual Report on Form 40-F under the heading Risk
Factors for a discussion of the factors that could cause the Companys actual
results, performance and achievements to be materially different from any
anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
the forward-looking statements. Readers are further cautioned that the foregoing
list of assumptions and risk factors is not exhaustive and it is recommended
that prospective investors consult the more complete discussion of the Companys
business, financial condition and prospects that is included in this Annual
Report on Form 40-F.
The Companys forward-looking statements and information are
based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of
the date of this Annual Report on Form 40-F. The Company will update
forward-looking statements and information if and when, and to the extent,
required by applicable securities laws. Readers should not place undue reliance
on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information
contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
CAUTIONARY NOTE TO UNITED STATES INVESTORS CONCERNING
ESTIMATES OF MEASURED, INDICATED AND INFERRED RESOURCES
The disclosure in this Annual Report, including the documents
incorporated by reference herein, uses terms that comply with reporting
standards in Canada and certain estimates are made in accordance with Canadian
National Instrument 43-101
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral
Projects
(
NI 43-101
). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian
Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure
an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral
projects. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource estimates contained in or
incorporated by reference in this Annual Report have been prepared in accordance
with NI 43-101. These standards differ significantly from the requirements of
the SEC, and resource information contained herein and incorporated by reference
herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies.
The terms Mineral Reserve, Proven Mineral Reserve and
Probable Mineral Reserve are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance
with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum
(the
CIM
) -
CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and
Mineral Reserves
, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended. These definitions
differ from the definitions in SEC Industry Guide 7 under the Exchange Act.
Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, mineralization may not be classified as a
reserve unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could
be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve
determination is made. Among other things, all necessary permits would be
required to be in hand or issuance imminent in order to classify mineralized
material as reserves under the Securities and Exchange Commission (
SEC
or
Commission
) standards. Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, a
final or bankable feasibility study is required to report reserves, the
three-year historical average price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis
to designate reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be
filed with the appropriate governmental authority.
In addition, the terms Mineral Resource, Measured Mineral
Resource, Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource are
defined in and required to be disclosed by NI 43-101; however, these terms are
not defined terms under SEC Industry Guide 7 and are normally not permitted to
be used in reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. Investors are
cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these
categories will ever be converted into reserves. Inferred Mineral Resources
have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty
as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any
part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category.
Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the
basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors
are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource
exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of contained ounces
in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the
SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not
constitute reserves by SEC Industry Guide 7 standards as in place tonnage and
grade without reference to unit measures.
For the above reasons, information contained in this Annual
Report and the documents incorporated by reference herein containing
descriptions of our mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar
information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and
disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the
rules and regulations thereunder.
NOTE TO UNITED STATES READERS REGARDING DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN UNITED STATES AND CANADIAN REPORTING PRACTICES
The Company is permitted to prepare this Annual Report in
accordance with Canadian disclosure requirements, which are different from those
of the United States. The Company prepares its consolidated financial statements
in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, as issued by the
International Accounting Standards Board, which differ in certain respects from
United States generally accepted accounting principles (
US GAAP
) and
from practices prescribed by the SEC. Therefore, the Companys financial
statements incorporated by reference in this Annual Report may not be comparable
to financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP.
CURRENCY
Unless otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts in this Annual
Report are in United States dollars. The exchange rate of United States dollars
into Canadian dollars on December 29, 2017 (the last business day of the year),
based upon the noon rate published by the Bank of Canada, was US$1.00=CDN$
1.2545. The exchange rate of United States dollars into Canadian dollars, on March 23, 2018, based upon
the noon rate as published by the Bank of Canada, was US$1.00=CDN$1.2856.
DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls and procedures are defined in Rule
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act to mean controls and other
procedures of an issuer that are designed to ensure that information required to
be disclosed by the issuer in the reports that it files or submits under the
Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time
periods specified in the SECs rules and forms. Disclosure controls and
procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to
ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the issuers
management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers,
or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely
decisions regarding required disclosure.
Managements Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and
Procedures
At the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form
40-F, being the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, an evaluation was carried
out under the supervision of and with the participation of the Companys
management (
Management
), including the Chief Executive Officer
(
CEO
) and Chief Financial Officer (
CFO
), of the effectiveness
of the design and operations of the Companys disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based on
that evaluation the CEO and the CFO have concluded that, as of the end of the
period covered by this Annual Report, the Companys disclosure controls and
procedures were effective to give reasonable assurance that the information
required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits to
the SEC under the Exchange Act is:
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recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the
time periods specified in the SECs rules and forms; and
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accumulated and communicated to Management, including the
CEO and CFO, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure.
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INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rule
13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act as a process designed by, or under
the supervision of, the issuers principal executive and principal financial
officers and effected by the issuers board of directors, management and other
personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of
financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and
includes those policies and procedures that:
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pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable
detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of
the assets of the Company;
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provide reasonable assurance that transactions are
recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that
receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance
with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and
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provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or
timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the
Companys assets that may have a material effect on the financial
statements.
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The Companys internal control system is designed to provide
reasonable assurance to Management and the board of directors (
Board of
Directors)
regarding the preparation and fair presentation of published
financial statements. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed,
have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be
effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial
statement preparation and presentation. Also, projections of any evaluation of
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting to future periods are
subject to risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in
conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may
deteriorate.
Managements Assessment of Internal Control over Financial
Reporting
The Companys Management is responsible for establishing and
maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Management
conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Companys internal control
over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control Integrated
Framework (2013) issued by The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the
Treadway Commission (
COSO
). Based on this evaluation, Management
concluded that the Companys internal control over financial reporting was
effective as of December 31, 2017.
The Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring that
Management fulfills its responsibilities. The Company audit committee
(
Audit Committee
) fulfills its role of ensuring the integrity of the
reported information through its review of the interim and annual financial
statements. Management reviewed the results of their assessment with the
Companys Audit Committee.
Attestation Report
KPMG LLP has audited the Companys internal control over
financial reporting and has issued an attestation report on the Companys
internal control over financial reporting which is included with the Companys
audited financial statements which are attached as Exhibit 99.2 to this Annual
Report on Form 40-F.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
On June 30, 2017, the Company acquired a Peruvian subsidiary
which owns the Coricancha Mine Complex (Coricancha). Other than the additional controls resulting from the
acquisition of Coricancha, there have been no changes in internal controls over
financial reporting that occurred during the year ended December 31, 2017, that
have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect,
internal controls over financial reporting.
NOTICES PURSUANT TO REGULATION BTR
The Company did not send any notices required by Rule 104 of
Regulation BTR during the year ended December 31, 2017 concerning any equity
security subject to a blackout period under Rule 101 of Regulation BTR.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The Company is subject to corporate governance requirements
prescribed under applicable Canadian securities laws, rules and policies. The
Company is also subject to corporate governance requirements prescribed by the
listing standards of the NYSE AMERICAN, and the rules and regulations
promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act (including those applicable rules
and regulations mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002).
Section 110 of the NYSE AMERICAN Company Guide permits NYSE
AMERICAN to consider the laws, customs and practices of foreign issuers in
relaxing certain NYSE AMERICAN listing criteria, and to grant exemptions from
NYSE AMERICAN listing criteria based on these considerations. A company seeking
relief under these provisions is required to provide written certification from
independent local counsel that the non-complying practice is not prohibited by
home country law.
Section 123 of the NYSE AMERICAN Company Guide recommends that
the quorum for meetings of shareholders of a listed company be not less than
33-1/3% of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at a meeting of
shareholders. Upon listing, the Company received an exemption from this listing
standard. The Companys quorum requirement is specified in its corporate charter
as two persons who are, or who represent by proxy, shareholders.
Section 713 of the NYSE AMERICAN Company Guide requires that
the Company obtain the approval of its shareholders for share issuances equal to
20 percent or more of presently outstanding shares for a price which is less
than the greater of book or market value of the shares. This requirement does
not apply to public offerings. There are no such requirements under British Columbia corporate law.
However, under the rules of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the TSX), the
Companys home stock exchange, shareholder approval is required for certain
issuances of shares that (i) materially affect control of the Company, or (ii)
provide consideration to insiders in aggregate of 10% or greater of the market
capitalization of the Company in transactions that have not been negotiated at
arms length. Shareholder approval is also required under TSX rules for private
placements in circumstances where (i) the aggregate number of listed securities
issuable is greater than 25% of the number of securities of the listed issuer
which are outstanding, on a non-diluted basis, prior to the date of closing of
the transaction if the price per security is less than the market price, and
(ii) there are issuances during any six month period to insiders for listed
securities or options, rights or other entitlements to listed securities greater
than 10% of the number of securities of the listed issuer which are outstanding,
on a non-diluted basis, prior to the date of the closing of the first private
placement to an insider during the six month period. The Company intends to seek
a waiver from NYSE AMERICANs section 713 requirements should a dilutive private
placement financing trigger the NYSE AMERICAN shareholders approval requirement
in circumstances where the same financing does not trigger such a requirement
under British Columbia law or under TSX rules.
The Company believes that there are otherwise no significant
differences between its corporate governance policies and those required to be
followed by United States domestic issuers listed on the NYSE AMERICAN. In
particular, in addition to having a separate Audit Committee, the Companys
Board of Directors has established a separately-designated Compensation
Committee that materially meets the requirements for a compensation committee
under section 805 of the NYSE AMERICAN Company Guide, as currently in force.
Copies of the Companys corporate governance materials are
available on the Companys website at
www.greatpanther.com
(under the
Corporate/Governance/Governance and Policies tab). In addition, the Company is
required by National Instrument 58-101 of the Canadian Securities
Administrators,
Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices
, to describe
its practices and policies with regard to corporate governance in management
information circulars that are furnished to the Companys shareholders in
connection with annual meetings of shareholders.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Composition of the Audit Committee
The Company's Board of Directors has a separately designated
standing Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of
the Exchange Act and Section 803(B)(2) of the NYSE AMERICAN Company Guide. The
Company's Audit Committee comprises three directors that the Board of Directors
have determined are independent as determined under each of Rule 10A-3 under the
Exchange Act and Section 803(A) of the "NYSE American" Company Guide:
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Elise Rees (Chair)
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R. W. (Bob) Garnett
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John Jennings
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All three members of the Audit Committee are financially
literate, meaning they are able to read and understand the Company's financial
statements and to understand the breadth and level of complexity of the issues
that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company's financial
statements. The Audit Committee meets the composition requirements set forth by
Section 803(B)(2) of NYSE AMERICAN Company Guide.
Audit Committee Charter
The full text of the Charter of the Audit Committee is attached
as Schedule A to the Company's Annual Information Form which is filed as Exhibit
99.1 to this Annual Report. The Charter of the Audit Committee is also available
on the Companys website at
www.greatpanther.com
(under the links
Corporate > Corporate Governance and Policies).
Audit Committee Financial Expert
The Companys Board of Directors has determined that both Elise
Rees and Bob Garnett, are audit committee financial experts (as that term is
defined in General Instruction B(8) of Form 40-F).
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS
Adoption of Code of Ethics
The Company has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
(the
Code of Ethics
) for all its directors, executive officers and
employees. The Code of Ethics materially complies with Section 807 of the NYSE
AMERICAN Company Guide. The Code of Ethics meets the requirements for a code of
ethics within the meaning of that term in Form 40-F. The text of the Code of
Ethics is posted on the Company's website at
www.greatpanther.com
(under
the links Corporate > Corporate Governance and Policies).
Amendments or Waivers
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the Company did
not substantively amend, waive or implicitly waive any provision of the Code of
Ethics with respect to any of the directors, executive officers or employees
subject to it.
To the extent that the Company's board or a board committee
determines to grant any waiver of the Code of Ethics for an executive officer or
director, the commentary to Section 807 of the NYSE AMERICAN Company Guide
requires that the waiver must be disclosed to shareholders within four business
days of such determination.
All amendments to the Code of Ethics, and all waivers of the
Code of Ethics with respect to the Companys principal executive officer,
principal financial officer or other persons performing similar functions, will
be posted on the Companys website, submitted to the SEC on Form 6-K and
provided in print to any shareholder that provides the Company with a written
request addressed to the Companys Corporate Secretary.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The information relating to the Companys principal accountant
fees and services that is included under the heading Audit Committee
Information External Auditor Service Fees in the 2017 Annual Information Form
is hereby incorporated by reference herein. In addition, the information
relating to the Audit and Risk Committees pre-approval policies and procedures
that is included under the heading Audit Committee Information Pre-Approval
Policy in the 2017 Annual Information Form is hereby incorporated by reference
herein.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
The Company has not entered into any off-balance sheet
arrangements, as defined in General Instruction B(11) to Form 40-F, that have
or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on the Companys
financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues, expenses, results
of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are
material to investors.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
The Company's contractual obligations as at December 31, 2017
are presented in note 20(a) of the audited financial statements which are
attached as Exhibit 99.2 of this Annual Report on Form 40-F.
MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Pursuant to Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street
Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (
Dodd-Frank Act
), issuers
that are operators, or that have a subsidiary that is an operator, of a coal or
other mine in the United States are required to disclose in their periodic
reports filed with the SEC information regarding specified health and safety
violations, orders and citations, related assessments and legal actions, and
mining-related fatalities under the regulation of the Federal Mine Safety and
Health Act of 1977.
The Company did not have any mines in the United States during
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.
UNDERTAKING AND CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS
Undertaking
The Company undertakes to make available, in person or by
telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff,
and to furnish promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff,
information relating to:
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the securities registered pursuant to Form 40-F;
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the securities in relation to which the obligation to
file an annual report on Form 40-F arises; or
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transactions in said securities.
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Consent to Service of Process
Concurrently with the filing of its Annual Report on Form 40-F
with the SEC on March 14, 2013, the Company filed an Appointment of Agent for
Service of Process and Undertaking on Form F-X signed by the Company and its
agent for service of process with respect to the class of securities in relation
to which the obligation to file this annual report arises.
Any change to the name or address of the Companys agent for
service shall be communicated promptly to the Commission by amendment to Form
F-X referencing the file number of the Company.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Company
certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 40-F and has
duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereto duly authorized.
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GREAT PANTHER SILVER
LIMITED
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Date: March 23, 2018
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By:
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/s/ James M. Bannantine
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James M. Bannantine
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Chief Executive Officer and
President
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No.
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Exhibit Description
|
|
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Principal Documents
|
|
|
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99.1
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Annual Information Form of the Company for the year ended
December 31, 2017
|
|
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99.2
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Audited consolidated financial statements of the Company
and the notes thereto for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017 and
2016 together with the reports of the auditors thereon
|
|
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99.3
|
Managements Discussion and Analysis of the Company for
the year ended December 31, 2017
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|
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Certifications
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|
|
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99.4
|
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Exchange Act
|
|
|
99.5
|
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Exchange Act
|
|
|
99.6
|
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) of the Exchange Act and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
|
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99.7
|
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) of the Exchange Act and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
|
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Consents
|
|
|
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99.8
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Consent of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Public
Accounting Firm
|
|
|
99.9
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Consent of Robert F. Brown, author of the July 6, 2015 technical report under NI 43-101 on the Topia Mine Mineral Resource Estimates and the NI 43-101 Technical Report entitled NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Guanajuato Mine Complex Claims and Mineral Resource Estimations for the Guanajuato Mine, San Ignacio Mine, and El Horcón and Santa Rosa Projects dated February 25, 2017.
|
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99.10
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Consent of Ronald Turner, who co-authored the technical report entitled NI 43-101 Resource Update Technical Report on the Coricancha Mine Complex, Huarochirí Province, Lima Region, Peru dated February 2, 2018.
|
|
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99.11
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Consent of Daniel A. Saint Don, who co-authored the technical report entitled NI 43-101 Resource Update Technical Report on the Coricancha Mine Complex, Huarochirí Province, Lima Region, Peru dated February 2, 2018.
|
|
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99.12
|
Consent of Jeffrey L. Woods, who co-authored the technical report entitled NI 43-101 Resource Update Technical Report on the Coricancha Mine Complex, Huarochirí Province, Lima Region, Peru dated February 2, 2018.
|
|
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99.13
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Consent of Matthew C. Wunder, author of the February 28, 2018 NI 43-101 Technical Report entitled NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Update Technical Report on the Guanajuato Mine Complex, Guanajuato Mine and San Ignacio Mine, Guanajuato State, Mexico dated February 28, 2018.
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XBRL
|
|
|
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101.INS
|
XBRL Instance Document
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|
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101.SCH
|
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
|
|
|
101.CAL
|
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
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|
|
101.DEF
|
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
|
|
|
101.LAB
|
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase
|
|
|
101.PRE
|
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
|
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