Superannuation funds should only have to provide data to the regulators once – not multiple times.
That is the message being delivered by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) which has used a submission to the Federal Treasury to argue that it be made mandatory for regulators such as ASIC and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) to “collaborate on the collection of data and broader communication with the industry”.
It said that the objective should be that data and communication is reported only once through centralised, consistent, points of data collection and access or shared by the relevant regulators and other agencies as necessary.
“Currently regulators can communicate or request the same thing from superannuation providers at the same time,” the ASFA submission said. “This is highly inefficient and increases risks and costs significantly.”
“Ultimately it is superannuation fund members who pay for these additional costs, for little discernible benefit,” it said.
An Australian superannuation delegation will visit the UK this month to explore investment opportunities and support local economic growth, job creation, and long-term investment.
An ASIC review has identified superannuation trustees are demonstrating a “lack of urgency” around improving their retirement communication and still taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Superannuation funds have welcomed the boost that Treasury’s improvement on the Low-Income Superannuation Tax Offset will have for women and younger members.
The proposed changes to the Low-Income Superannuation Tax Offset (LISTO) has been applauded by the superannuation sector.