APRA offers some relief from FCS requirements
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has offered authorised deposit-taking institutions interim relief to help them comply with aspects of the rules governing the Financial Claims Scheme.The prudential standard covering the FCS (APS 910) includes a requirement that ADIs establish a single customer view for accounts protected under the scheme. ADIs must create systems that will ensure that, if they become insolvent, they can generate and transmit payment instructions to a "paying agent" appointed by APRA. The single customer view must be generated on a calendar-day basis.The FCS was introduced as a temporary measure in 2008 to provide a guarantee on deposits. It was made permanent in November 2011, providing deposit protection of A$250,000 per person, per institution.ADIs have approached APRA to change the customer view requirement to business days.In a letter to ADIs sent out yesterday, APRA rejected this approach, saying the requirements of the FCS are to be able to calculate accrued interest, fees, charges and any withholding tax on demand."It is not possible to predict when an ADI might become insolvent and be declared subject to the FCS," it said.However, it said that, as an interim measure, it would consider applications for adjustment to APS 910 requirements as part of a move to full compliance over time.