The Government confirmed its pre-Budget announcements on increased funding to both the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA).
The Budget documents said the Government was enhancing ASIC’s and APRA’s effectiveness, providing more than $550 million “so they have the necessary resources to discharge their expanded remit and address misconduct”.
The Government will provide more than $400 million to ASIC including:
It said the government wouldl increase APRA’s budget by $152 million to strengthen its supervisory and enforcement activities.
“$117 million of this funding will support APRA’s response to key areas of concern raised by the Royal Commission, including with respect to governance, culture and remuneration,” it said.
“The Government is also providing $7.7 million to establish an independent Financial Regulator Oversight Authority to report on ASIC’s and APRA’s effectiveness.”
The Assistant Treasurer has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening retirement outcomes, consumer protections and cyber resilience in superannuation.
The industry super fund has advanced reconciliation efforts with a new initiative focused on improving outcomes for First Nations members.
The regulator has announced fresh legal actions in relation to the Shield and First Guardian fund failures.
The Gateway Network Governance Body has unveiled a detailed roadmap to guide the superannuation industry through the upcoming Payday Super reforms.