Regulation must come with accountability
The recommendations from the Hayne Royal Commission’s to create a new ‘super-regulatory’ body to oversee the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) should come with accountability and appropriate resources, according to the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).
However, the IPA argued, the fundamentals of this process, which would require appropriate funding and resources for the regulators, should be also addressed.
“While on face value, having a regulatory body regulating the regulators may appear a regulatory overkill, if it achieves the desired accountability outcomes, it may have merit,” Andrew Conway, IPA’s chief executive, said.
Also, the institute stressed that further regulatory burden being filtered down on the shoulders of small business operators and, in particular, the research showed that am increasing number of small businesses would continue to be concerned with the impact of laws and regulations on their ability to run their businesses and innovate.
“We also do not want to see the targeting of small targets due to additional pressure placed on ASIC to enforce, while there are more complex and yet, bigger fish to fry,” Conway said.
“Up until recent times, ASIC have had the regulatory teeth on paper but not the resources and funding to actually bite so they should be given the good grace to prove themselves.”
Recommended for you
Advisers could find themselves unable to receive the fair market price of their advice as the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes legislation states superannuation trustees can reject deductions that are not charged on a cost basis.
Two advice professionals have shared five key takeaways as to how advisers can strengthen their communication with clients, especially at review time, in order to build deeper relationships.
The Financial Services Council has launched the Digital Advice Expert Group to support policy development around digital advice adoption and ensure greater accessibility for Australians.
MLC Asset Management’s managed account offerings have hit $2 billion in funds under management, underpinned by over half of financial advisers’ usage of the investment products.