Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (confidentiality) determination No. 20 of 2009

Administered by Department of the Treasury

Legislation au F2009L04666 Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (confidentiality) determination No.20 of 2009

 

Information provided by locally-incorporated banks and foreign authorised deposit-taking institutions under Reporting Standard ARS 320.0 (2005)

 

 

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Issued by the authority of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA)

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 (APRA Act), section 57

 

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (confidentiality) determination No.20 of 2009 (the Determination), made on 16 December 2009 is APRA’s seventieth determination in relation to information provided under Reporting Standard ARS 320.0 (2005) Statement of Financial Position (Domestic Books) (ARS 320.0) (and its predecessor reporting standards) under section 57 of the APRA Act.[1] The purpose of the Determination is to enable APRA to publish an edition of Monthly Banking Statistics, which will contain data in respect of November 2009.

Legislative background

Subsection 56(5C) of the APRA Act provides that it is not an offence against section 56(2) of that Act to disclose information in a reporting document given to APRA under section 13 of the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001 where APRA has determined, under section 57, that the document does not contain confidential information.

Section 57 of the APRA Act gives APRA power to determine whether a document given under section 13 of the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act contains confidential information. The section provides that before doing so APRA must give relevant entities or bodies, or their representative association, a reasonable opportunity to make representations as to whether information of the kind contained in the document is confidential, and take such representations into account (consultation undertaken is discussed below.)

Information covered by the determination

The Determination provides that certain information given to APRA under ARS 320.0 (made under section 13 of the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act by Financial Sector (Collection of Data) determination No. 37 of 2005[2]), being information received on or after the date of APRA’s last determination under section 57 and before the date of this one, is non-confidential. It applies to information given to APRA by foreign Authorised Deposit-taking Institutions (ADIs) (generally banks) and locally-incorporated banks.

The Determination excludes information of a sensitive nature, including information relating to shareholder’s equity, total income tax liability and total provisions. The latter two items were excluded as a result of consultations with industry under section 57 of the APRA Act (see below).

Items that will be disclosed (and which are covered by the Determination) are set out in the Appendix to this Explanatory Statement.

 

Consultation

 

APRA commenced consultations in relation to whether information of the kind covered by the Determination should be treated as non-confidential by writing to locally-incorporated banks, foreign ADIs, and their respective representative bodies, on 24 December 2003. Most agreed that information of the kind covered by the Determination could be treated as non-confidential. A small minority objected to the publication of any information from ARS 320.0, but in APRA’s view there is a strong public interest in the publication of the information, and it is noted that similar information was regularly published under the former section 51 of the Banking Act 1959.

 

 


Appendix

 

Items to be published in the Monthly Banking Statistics publication 

 

Table 1: Selected Assets on Australian Books of Individual Banks 

 Cash and liquid assets

 Trading securities

 Investment securities

 Acceptances of customers

 Gross loans and advances

 Other investments

 Total resident assets

 Outstanding principal balance of securitised assets

 Value of housing loans securitised

 

Table 2: Loans and Advances on Australian Books of Individual Banks 

 Loans to non-financial corporations

 Loans to financial corporations

 Loans to general government

 Housing loans - owner-occupied

 Housing loans - investment

 Household credit cards

 Other household loans

 Loans to community service organisations and non-profit institutions

 Total gross loans and advances

 Intra-group loans and advances

 

Table 3: Selected Liabilities on Australian Books of Individual Banks 

 Due to clearing houses and financial institutions

 Acceptances

 Total deposits

 Intra-group deposits

 Bonds, notes and long-term borrowings

 Other borrowings

 

Table 4: Deposits on Australian Books of Individual Banks 

 Deposits from non-financial corporations

 Deposits from financial corporations

 Deposits from general government

 Deposits from households

 Deposits from community service organisations and non-profit institutions

 Other deposit accounts

 Certificates of deposit

 Total deposits

 

 

 

[1]  Prior to January 2006, determinations under section 57 of the APRA Act were entitled ‘Non-confidentiality determination No. X of 200X’.

[2]  Legislative Instrument - F2005L01683: see http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legislation/LegislativeInstrument1.nsf/asmade/bytitle/0F204D94AC5C5E1FCA2570280080F2F0?OpenDocument.

Overview

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (confidentiality) determination No.20 of 2009, enacted under section 57 of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998, was introduced to enable the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) to publish an edition of Monthly Banking Statistics containing data for November 2009. This Determination addresses the issue of confidentiality in relation to information provided by locally-incorporated banks and foreign authorised deposit-taking institutions under the Reporting Standard ARS 320.0 (2005). The policy objective is to balance the need for transparency and public interest in the financial sector with the protection of sensitive information, thereby facilitating informed decision-making and regulatory oversight. The determination specifically excludes sensitive information such as shareholder's equity, total income tax liability, and total provisions, following consultations with industry stakeholders.

Scope and Application

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (confidentiality) determination No. 20 of 2009 applies to information provided by locally-incorporated banks and foreign authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) under the Reporting Standard ARS 320.0 (2005). This determination, made under section 57 of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 (APRA Act), specifies that certain information received by APRA is non-confidential and can be published in the Monthly Banking Statistics. It covers information provided under section 13 of the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001. The information includes selected assets, liabilities, loans, and deposits of individual banks on Australian books, excluding sensitive data such as shareholders' equity, total income tax liability, and total provisions. The scope of the determination is limited to data provided from the date of APRA’s last confidentiality determination up to the date of this one. The application of the determination is nationwide, as APRA is the prudential regulator for the Australian financial services sector. While APRA has the power to extend or restrict the application of this determination through subordinate instruments, the current determination specifically excludes sensitive information, which was decided upon after consulting with industry representatives.

Key Provisions

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (confidentiality) determination No.20 of 2009, made under section 57 of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 (APRA Act), specifies the information that can be disclosed by locally-incorporated banks and foreign authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) to APRA. This disclosure is to facilitate the publication of an edition of Monthly Banking Statistics, which contains data for November 2009. The Determination identifies certain information as non-confidential when provided under the Reporting Standard ARS 320.0 (2005) Statement of Financial Position (Domestic Books) (ARS 320.0). It excludes sensitive information such as shareholders' equity, total income tax liability, and total provisions, while permitting the disclosure of details on assets, loans, and deposits. This determination is part of APRA's ongoing process to balance the need for financial transparency with the protection of sensitive information. The Determination imposes certain obligations on locally-incorporated banks and foreign ADIs, requiring them to provide specific financial data to APRA under ARS 320.0. These institutions must ensure that the information they provide is accurate and comprehensive, covering selected assets, loans, and deposits. Furthermore, the Determination necessitates that these entities adhere to the stipulated exclusions, ensuring that sensitive financial information is not disclosed. By complying with the Determination, these institutions assist APRA in fulfilling its regulatory oversight functions and contribute to the transparency of the financial sector. The APRA Act, under section 56(5C), stipulates that it is not an offence to disclose information in a reporting document provided to APRA, if the document does not contain confidential information. However, any breach of the confidentiality obligations or the non-disclosure of required information may result in civil or criminal penalties, depending on the severity of the breach. The maximum penalties for such breaches are not explicitly stated in the Determination, but they are typically governed by the broader provisions of the APRA Act, which can include substantial fines and, in severe cases, imprisonment. These consequences underscore the importance of compliance with the Determination to avoid legal repercussions.

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