APRA
From Riski
Contents |
Overview
- Source: About APRA Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is the prudential regulator of the Australian financial services industry. It oversees banks, credit unions, building societies, general insurance and reinsurance companies, life insurance, friendly societies, and most members of the superannuation industry. APRA is funded largely by the industries that it supervises. It was established on 1 July 1998. APRA currently supervises institutions holding approximately $3.6 trillion in assets for 22 million Australian depositors, policyholders and superannuation fund members.
Our vision: is to be a world class integrated prudential supervisor recognised for its leadership, professionalism and innovation.
Our mission: To establish and enforce prudential standards and practices designed to ensure that, under all reasonable circumstances, financial promises made by institutions we supervise are met within a stable, efficient and competitive financial system.
We also act as the national statistical agency for the Australian financial sector and play a role in preserving the integrity of Australia’s retirement incomes policy.
- Who we are
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is the prudential regulator of the Australian financial services industry. It oversees banks, credit unions, building societies, general insurance and reinsurance companies, life insurance, friendly societies, and most members of the superannuation industry. APRA is funded largely by the industries that it supervises. It was established on 1 July 1998. APRA currently supervises institutions holding approximately $3.6 trillion in assets for 22 million Australian depositors, policyholders and superannuation fund members.
Our vision: is to be a world class integrated prudential supervisor recognised for its leadership, professionalism and innovation.
- Our mission
To establish and enforce prudential standards and practices designed to ensure that, under all reasonable circumstances, financial promises made by institutions we supervise are met within a stable, efficient and competitive financial system.
We also act as the national statistical agency for the Australian financial sector and play a role in preserving the integrity of Australia’s retirement incomes policy.
Our values:
We play a critical role in protecting the financial well-being of the Australian community: as a result, high standards are required in everything we do.
In our work and in our interactions with others, we value and seek to demonstrate:
- Integrity
- We stand behind the statements and commitments we make.
- We are balanced and fair in the use of our authority and powers.
- We make decisions and perform our duties without personal bias.
- We take seriously our obligation to protect the confidentiality of information provided to us.
- Collaboration
- We respect and value the views of others, both internal and external to APRA.
- We regularly seek the assistance and advice of others in APRA in our day-to-day work.
- We work and co-operate with our colleagues, and assist them to reach sound decisions and positive outcomes
- Professionalism
- We take pride in the quality of our work.
- We base our decisions on thorough and careful analysis.
- Once decisions are made, we act in a manner that respects those decisions and achieves the desired outcomes.
- We achieve timely and practical results, ensuring the benefits of regulating financial activity outweigh the costs and constraints we impose.
- Foresight
- Our analysis of issues is forward-looking.
- Using all of the information available to us, we identify potential problems and actively pursue remedial action when necessary.
- We stay at the forefront of developments that affect our role by continually learning new skills and enhancing our knowledge.
- Accountability
- We take responsibility for our decisions and the results of our actions.
- We never defer difficult decisions and actions, once a well-founded basis for these is identified.
- We hold ourselves to at least the same standards that we expect of regulated entities.
- We welcome independent scrutiny, and respond promptly to aspects of our performance that are identified as needing improvement.
Working and acting in these ways helps us achieve the high standards necessary for us to protect the financial well-being of the Australian community.
Our supervisory approach: is forward-looking, primarily risk-based, consultative, consistent and in line with international best practice. This approach also recognises that management and boards of supervised institutions are primarily responsible for financial soundness.
APRA Blueprint for Supervision
- Source: [http://www.apra.gov.au/AboutAPRA/upload/APRA-Supervision-Blueprint-FINAL-08Jan2010.pdf The APRA Supervision Blueprint
Public release January 2010] APRA, January, 2010
Vision for APRA’s Framework for Prudential Supervision
APRA’s vision is to be a world-class integrated prudential supervisor recognised for its leadership, professionalism and innovation. The Framework supports this vision by adopting an approach that is risk-based, outcomes-focussed, principles-based and consistent with APRA’s values. In so doing, it provides an efficient and effective basis for supervising institutions. The processes that comprise the Framework are supported by user-friendly applications.
APRA Practice Guides
Prudential Practice Guides aim to assist insurers in complying with requirements outlined in the prudential standards and more generally to outline prudent practices in relation to certain elements of an insurer’s business.
- Prudential Practice Guide GPG 110 - Capital Adequacy: Capital Management
- Prudential Practice Guide GPG 113 - Internal Model-based Method for determining Minimum Capital Requirement
- Prudential Practice Guide GPG 200 - Risk Management
- Prudential Practice Guide GPG 220 - Credit Risk
- Prudential Practice Guide GPG 230 - Operational Risk
- Prudential Practice Guide PPG 231 - Outsourcing
- Prudential Practice Guide GPG 232 - Custody Arrangements
- Prudential Practice Guide PPG 233 - Pandemic Planning and Risk Management
- Prudential Practice Guide PPG 234 - Management of security risk in information and information technology
- Prudential Practice Guide GPG 240 - Insurance Risk
- Prudential Practice Guide GPG 245 - Reinsurance Management Strategy
- Prudential Practice Guide GPG 250 - Balance Sheet and Market Risk
- Prudential Practice Guide GPG 510 - Governance
- Prudential Practice Guide PPG 511 - Remuneration
- Prudential Practice Guide GPG 520 - Fit and Proper
References
- Annual Friendly Society Bulletin for June 2010 APRA, January 19, 2011
- Monthly Banking Statistics November 2010 (issued 31 December 2010) APRA
- Liquidity management in superannuation APRA, January, 2010
- Consolidating prudential standards – consultation package APRA, December 21, 2010
- Response to Submissions Financial Claims Scheme for authorised deposit-taking institutions APRA, August 30, 2010
