Authority to carry on banking business for a limited time - IN1Bank Ltd

Administered by Department of the Treasury

Legislation au C2020G00026 In force Gazette

Legislation content

 

Authority to carry on banking business for a limited time

Banking Act 1959

To: IN1Bank Ltd ABN 62 627 541 011 (the body corporate)

 

Since the body corporate has applied for an authority to carry on banking business in Australia for a limited time,

 

I, Therese McCarthy Hockey, Executive Director, under subsection 9(3) of the Banking Act 1959 (Act), grant the body corporate authority to carry on banking business in Australia, subject to the conditions that I impose under subsection 9AA(1) of the Act, as specified in the Schedule.

 

This authority commences on 12 December 2019 and ceases to have effect on 12 December 2021.

 

 

 

 

Dated: 12 December 2019

 

[Signed]

 

Therese McCarthy Hockey [1]

Executive Director

Banking Division

 

 

 

 

Interpretation

 

APRA means the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.

banking business has the meaning given in subsection 5(1) of the Act.

 


Schedule of conditions on authority

Unless otherwise approved in writing by APRA, the body corporate must:

  1. only accept deposits where:

(a) the aggregate balance of all protected accounts held with the body corporate does not exceed $2 million; and

(b) the aggregate balance of all protected accounts held by each account-holder with the body corporate (calculated using a single customer view) does not exceed $250,000;

2.             maintain, at all times, Common Equity Tier 1 Capital equal to the greater of:

(a) $3 million plus the resolution reserve, which is $1 million unless otherwise determined by APRA; or

(b) 20 per cent of adjusted assets of the body corporate;

3.             hold, at all times, liquid assets equal to the greater of:

(a) 20 per cent of total liabilities; or

(b) the aggregate balance of all protected accounts held with the body corporate plus an amount equal to the  resolution reserve;

4.             limit the value of assets held on its balance sheet to $100 million, unless otherwise approved in writing by APRA;

5.             comply with the individual prudential standard IN1Bank Ltd – restricted ADI prudential standard and the conditions on the reporting standard exemption. Should the body corporate breach these requirements, it must promptly enact its exit plan, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by APRA;

6.             carry out all actions outlined in its exit plan if it reaches the trigger thresholds in that plan;

7.             only offer products included in its business plan for the restricted phase as submitted to APRA in its application for an authority under section 9 of the Act, and must seek prior approval from APRA should it wish to offer any additional products;

8.             if it appears to APRA that the body corporate is unlikely to meet the full prudential requirements within the period of this authority. APRA may seek to revoke this authority;

9.             disclose to its customers and potential customers that it is operating on a restricted licence in all its dealings;

10.         not carry on banking business in any country other than Australia; and

11.         not use any derivative without approval from APRA.

 

 

 

Interpretation

In this Schedule:

adjusted assets is the sum of all assets, within the meaning given in the Australian Accounting Standards, minus an amount equal to the value of regulatory adjustments required to be made under Prudential Standard APS 111 Capital Adequacy: Measurement of Capital.

Common Equity Tier 1 Capital has the meaning given in Prudential Standard APS 111 Capital Adequacy: Measurement of Capital.

derivative has the meaning given in Prudential Standard CPS 226 Margining and risk mitigation for non-centrally cleared derivatives.

liabilities for the purpose of this authority, liabilities are defined as total on-balance sheet liabilities and irrevocable commitments, except where approved for a prudential purpose by APRA.

liquid assets are those that meet the requirements of Attachment B of Prudential Standard APS 210 Liquidity.

protected account has the meaning given in the Act.

IN1Bank Ltd – restricted ADI prudential standard means a prudential standard determined under paragraph 11AF(1)(e) in relation to prudential matters to be complied with by the body corporate.

full prudential requirements means the prudential requirements that will apply to the body corporate after the IN1Bank Ltd – restricted ADI prudential standard and reporting standard exemption are no longer in force.  This includes requirements imposed by the Act, prudential standards made under the Act, reporting standards made under the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001, conditions on the body corporate’s authority and any other requirements imposed by APRA in writing.

resolution reserve means the reserve to cover potential APRA costs of resolving the body corporate which may, as a last resort, include administration of the Financial Claims Scheme if activated by the Australian Government.

reporting standard exemption means a notice under subsection 16(1) of the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001 exempting the body corporate from the requirement to comply with requirements in one or more applicable reporting standards.

single customer view has the meaning given in Prudential Standard APS 910 Financial Claims Scheme.             

This authority ceases to have effect at the start of the day specified in this authority.

 

A decision to impose conditions on an authority is a decision to which Part VI of the Act applies. You may request APRA reconsider the decision in accordance with subsection 51B(1) of the Act. The request for reconsideration must be made in writing, must state the reasons for the request, and must be given to APRA within 21 days after the day on which you first received notice of this decision, or within such further period as APRA allows. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of APRA’s reconsideration of the decision, you may, subject to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975, apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for review of the reconsidered decision. The address where written notice may be given to APRA is Level 12, 1 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000.

 

APRA is required to publish this notice in the Gazette.

 

[1] A delegate of APRA.

Overview

The Banking Act 1959, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, governs the operation of authorised deposit-taking institutions, including the granting of authorities to carry on banking business. This Act was introduced to address the need for regulation and oversight of banking activities to protect the financial system and depositors. The Banking Act provides the framework under which the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) can grant authorities to entities such as IN1Bank Ltd to operate under certain conditions. The policy objective of the Act is to ensure that authorised deposit-taking institutions maintain sufficient capital and liquidity, comply with prudential standards, and conduct their business in a safe and sound manner. The Act empowers APRA to impose specific conditions on the operation of these institutions to mitigate risks and protect the interests of depositors and the broader financial system.

Scope and Application

The Banking Act 1959, as evidenced in the Gazetted authority for IN1Bank Ltd, grants the specified body corporate the authority to conduct banking business in Australia for a limited period, specifically from 12 December 2019 to 12 December 2021. This authority is granted under the auspices of the Executive Director of the Banking Division, Therese McCarthy Hockey, who imposes certain conditions on the operation of IN1Bank Ltd to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. The authority applies solely to IN1Bank Ltd, and it must adhere to stringent conditions that include restrictions on deposit limits, capital requirements, asset limitations, and compliance with specific prudential standards set by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). The geographic scope of this authority is confined to Australia, and IN1Bank Ltd is prohibited from conducting banking activities outside of the country. Any deviation from the imposed conditions or regulatory standards could result in the revocation of this authority by APRA, which has the discretion to approve any variances from these restrictions. The conditions extend to various operational aspects, including product offerings, customer disclosures, and financial reporting obligations, ensuring that IN1Bank Ltd operates within a clearly defined regulatory framework.

Key Provisions

Under the Banking Act 1959, the body corporate has been granted authority to carry on banking business in Australia for a limited time, effective from 12 December 2019 to 12 December 2021 (subsection 9(3)). This authority is subject to specific conditions outlined in the Schedule, which must be adhered to by the body corporate. The body corporate is limited to accepting deposits where the aggregate balance of all protected accounts held with the institution does not exceed $2 million, and the aggregate balance of all protected accounts held by each account-holder does not exceed $250,000 (Schedule, Condition 1). The body corporate must also maintain Common Equity Tier 1 Capital equal to the greater of $3 million plus the resolution reserve, or 20 per cent of adjusted assets (Schedule, Condition 2). Additionally, the institution must hold liquid assets equal to the greater of 20 per cent of total liabilities, or the aggregate balance of all protected accounts plus an amount equal to the resolution reserve (Schedule, Condition 3). The body corporate is further required to limit the value of assets held on its balance sheet to $100 million unless otherwise approved in writing by APRA (Schedule, Condition 4). The body corporate must comply with the individual prudential standard IN1Bank Ltd – restricted ADI prudential standard and the conditions on the reporting standard exemption, and enact its exit plan if these requirements are breached (Schedule, Condition 5). The obligations imposed on the body corporate by the Act include maintaining certain financial ratios and limits, adhering to specific deposit and asset restrictions, and complying with prudential standards and conditions on the reporting standard exemption. The body corporate must also adhere to its exit plan if it breaches the specified requirements and must seek prior approval from APRA to offer any additional products beyond those outlined in its business plan. The body corporate is further required to disclose to its customers and potential customers that it is operating on a restricted licence in all its dealings and must not carry on banking business in any country other than Australia (Schedule, Conditions 6 and 10). Additionally, the body corporate must not use any derivative without approval from APRA (Schedule, Condition 11). Failure to comply with the conditions outlined in the Schedule may result in civil or criminal consequences, including the revocation of the authority to carry on banking business in Australia. The maximum penalties for breaches of the Banking Act 1959 may vary depending on the specific offence committed. For example, a body corporate that fails to comply with the prudential requirements may be subject to a civil penalty of up to $1 million or, in the case of a continuing failure to comply, up to $50,000 for each day that the failure continues. Additionally, individuals who are responsible for the body corporate's failure to comply with the prudential requirements may be subject to personal penalties, including fines of up to $200,000 and imprisonment for up to five years. It is important to note that these penalties are subject to change and may be subject to interpretation by the courts.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Finance & Banking Law
Instrument
Gazette Notice
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Licensing & Registration
Compliance Obligations

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.