ASIC pledge to stop 'concerning' practices

Australia's corporate regulator has pledged to do all it can to stop "concerning practices" within the financial sector, a parliamentary committee has heard.

ASIC chairman James Shipton at a press conference at Parliament House.

ASIC's James Shipton says embedded staff will be trained to keep a distance from bank employees. (AAP)

The corporate regulator has assured it will do everything it can to disrupt "concerning practices" within the financial industry.

While Australian Securities and Investments Commission chair James Shipton wouldn't speculate on possible findings from the banking royal commission, he told a parliamentary committee on Friday that "their work is very valuable".

"I have been using every public opportunity I have to remind the financial sector that they are dealing with other people's money," he said.

"We will do everything we can to disrupt these concerning practices."

As a result of the banking royal commission the federal government has injected $70.1 million into the regulatory body, which will partially go towards embedding staff within the major banks.

About 25 staff will be embedded at the Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, NAB, Westpac and AMP, to ensure they are adhering to the rules while also aiming for behavioural change from employees.

ASIC will kick off the process next month by "taking the pulse" of the banks to determine their perceived risk in order to distribute staff.

The perceived risk of each bank will also be calculated from complaints and whistleblower information.

Mr Shipton said embedded staff would be trained to maintain professional skepticism before spending months inside an institution.

"It's to train very intelligent professionals to be aware of the psychological bias we all have to be friendly," he said.

ASIC's Warren Day said $6.6 million over two years would be used to enhance work with whistleblowers, ensuring identities and information were kept confidential.

Mr Shipton said embedding staff would be limited by the "sheer force of numbers", as the major banks have a workforce of about 30,000 people each compared to ASIC's 1600.

The size of the banks also created the risk of embedded staff being "lost in the weeds", he added.

In his opening address he said ASIC was talking to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions over 134 cases in the sector.

ASIC's commissioners have recently sought legal advice to look at the regulator's ability to publicly disclose its investigations, citing the public interest in the banking royal commission.

Industry standards within the financial sector are currently under the microscope, and the government has moved to increase standards for financial advisors by making a relevant degree, code of ethics and industry exams a requirement.

About half of all financial advisors did not have a degree, the committee heard.

The regulator's funding boost will also go toward enhanced supervision for superannuation, the creation of a corporate governance task force and a review into the effects of conflicts of interest within the sector.

"It shouldn't take an edict from a regulator or a parliamentary committee for this industry to be professional," Mr Shipton said.

"It should actually come from within."


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Source: AAP



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