Govt accused of lagging on Investment Manager Regime


The Federal Opposition has claimed answers provided by Treasury officials have confirmed government inaction is denying Australian fund managers the opportunity to access new investment funds from overseas.
The Opposition spokesman on financial services, Senator Mathias Cormann, said a recent Treasury response to a question on notice confirmed the funds management industry was being hampered by delays to the implementation of the Investment Manager Regime recommended in the Johnson Report.
Cormann said development of the legislation necessary to give effect to the regime had been flagged as far back as December, 2010, but was now being treated as a low priority by the Government.
He said this brought into question the Labor Government's commitment towards making Australia a regional financial services centre.
"A robust and internationally competitive Investment Management Regime would allow Australia's world class financial services industry to compete for investment from overseas investors, especially from the emerging economies in Asia," Cormann said.
However he claimed this was being denied to the local industry by delays and the low priority the Minister for Financial Services, Bill Shorten, was directing to the issue.
Recommended for you
There is a gap in the market for Australian advisers to help individuals with succession planning as the country has been noted by Capital Group for being overly “hands off” around inheritances.
ASIC has cancelled the AFSL of an advice firm associated with Shield and First Guardian collapses, and permanently banned its responsible manager.
Having peaked at more than 40 per cent growth since the first M&A bid, Insignia Financial shares have returned to earth six months later as the company awaits a final decision from CC Capital.
Private market secondaries manager Coller Capital has unveiled a new education platform to improve advisers’ and investors’ understanding of secondaries.