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The Financial Accountability Regime (FAR) Bill 2023 marks a pivotal transformation in financial sector oversight, affecting all APRA regulated financial entities in the banking, insurance and superannuation industries as well as their significant related entities. Jointly administered by ASIC and APRA, the FAR will replace the Banking Executive Accountability Regime (BEAR), aiming to improve risk and governance cultures by imposing a strengthened responsibility and accountability framework for those financial institutions.

This week, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) finalised new requirements to Prudential Standard CPS 511 Remuneration, which will significantly impact authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs), insurers, and superannuation entities. This new standard requires APRA-regulated entities to publish details around their remuneration frameworks, design, governance, and outcomes. These changes come in an effort to create more transparency and improve risk management, in particular in the context of the poorly designed and executed remuneration frameworks exposed through the financial services Royal Commission.

APRA-regulated businesses operating in the banking, insurance, and superannuation industries will soon be faced with significant regulatory changes. APRA and the ASIC have commenced early consultation around the introduction of the Financial Accountability Regime, which aims to establish a strong accountability framework to enhance risk management and governance practices in the financial sector.

Following industry consultation released late last year APRA recently finalised revisions to Prudential Standard APS 220 Credit Risk management, effective September 2022, to include a new Attachment C - Macroprudential policy: credit measures. Under the new requirements, ADIs must be operationally prepared to implement certain macroprudential policy measures, if needed to avoid potential barriers to timely and effective implementation.

Last week, APRA Deputy Chair John Lonsdale delivered a speech at the COBA CEO and Director Forum. Reflecting on the history of the mutual banking sector, Lonsdale highlighted APRA’s recent review of mutuals exiting the industry and their performance 12 months prior to their exit. It brought to the fore several issues that could lead to potential future mutual exits, such as poor performance on cost management, lending growth and profitability. APRA highlighted three core priorities to “support a strong, stable mutual sector”, being: • Cyber risk, including CPS 234 reviews • Risk culture • Contingency and continuity frameworks

On Thursday 11 November 2021, APRA announced its proposed new attachment to Prudential Standard APS 220 Credit Risk Management.

While auditing risk culture is still a relatively new concept for most organisations, it’s an area that is receiving increased focus.