I have always been extremely skeptical when ever a politician promises to cut red tape. I met with the former NSW premier John Fahey about this way back before he even became premier, and he has been retired for ages now. And little has really changed.
However, I do think that a lot of what The Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law, Chris Bowen MP released for discussion are very worthwhile reforms. I how they can successfully pull it off.
“The reforms will reduce unnecessary reporting obligations on companies and implement a number of other important refinements to our corporate regulatory framework.” Mr Bowen said
The key measures to reduce red-tape include:
- significantly reducing the regulatory burden on companies limited by guarantee (which typically have a not-for-profit purpose), by introducing a three tiered differential reporting framework;
- streamlining parent-entity reporting;
- providing greater flexibility for companies to pay dividends, by replacing the profits test with a solvency-type test; and
- allowing companies to more easily change their year-end date to minimise the burden on companies and their auditors during peak reporting periods.
The reforms will also implement refinements to the regulatory framework, including:
- improving disclosure of non-financial information in the directors’ report;
- protecting solicitors’ representation letters from disclosure to enable auditors to properly verify a company’s contingent liabilities;
- refining the statement of compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards contained in the directors’ declaration; and
- clarifying the circumstances in which a company can cancel its share capital.
Copies of draft amendments, the explanatory material and the regulation impact statement can be obtained from the Treasury website: www.treasury.gov.au.
The closing date for submissions is 3 February 2010.
