APRA raps major instos over executive remuneration

Australia’s major banks and financial institutions have received a rap over the knuckles from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) over their remuneration practices.

A new APRA review, released today, found that the executive remuneration practices at large financial institutions gave rise to “considerable room for improvement in design and implementation”.

The review examined whether policies and practices in regulated institutions were meeting the objectives of APRA’s prudential framework: that remuneration frameworks operate to encourage behaviour that supports risk management frameworks and institutions’ long-term financial soundness.

APRA's review comprised detailed analysis of executive remuneration practices and outcomes from a sample of 12 regulated institutions across the authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs), insurance and superannuation sectors.

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It said the sample of institutions reviewed collectively accounted for a material proportion of the total assets of the Australian financial system.

APRA said the review found that remuneration frameworks and practices did not consistently and effectively promote sound risk management and long-term financial soundness and fell short of the better practices set out in APRA’s existing guidance.

APRA chairman, Wayne Byres said APRA encouraged all regulated institutions to review their remuneration frameworks and address any areas where APRA’s findings indicated room for improvement.

"Both the design and implementation of performance-based remuneration must support effective risk management and the long-term financial soundness of each institution. In this regard, there is considerable room for improvement," Byres said.

The report identified the need for improvement in:

• ensuring practices were adopted that were appropriate to the institution’s size, complexity and risk profile;
• the extent to which risk outcomes were assessed, and weighted, within performance scorecards; and
• enforcement of accountability mechanisms in response to poor risk outcomes; and evidence of the rationale for remuneration decisions.

Byers said that in response to the findings, APRA would consider ways to strengthen its prudential framework with a future review of the relevant prudential standards and guidance taking account of the forthcoming Banking Executive Accountability Regime (BEAR), as well as international best practice.

"APRA does not believe institutions should be satisfied with simply meeting the minimum requirements on remuneration,” he said.

"Well-targeted incentive schemes and firmly enforced accountability systems should be viewed not simply as a matter of regulatory compliance but as essential for sustained commercial success.”