The Australian Securities and Investments Commission published an updated Statement of Intent in response to the Australian Government’s 2026 Statement of Expectations. The document sets out how ASIC will use its powers and discharge its responsibilities, with a focus on consumer and retail investor protection, targeted enforcement, proportionate regulation, and support for competition, innovation and sustainable economic growth. The statement says enforcement, supervision and surveillance will be calibrated to the level of risk and harm, with sufficient resourcing for deterrence and early detection of misconduct and action on matters in the public interest. It also sets priorities across digital finance, digital assets and AI, superannuation member services and retirement outcomes, pragmatic supervision of climate-related financial disclosure alongside action against greenwashing, anti-scam coordination with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the National Anti-Scam Centre, support for the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, stabilization and uplift of business registers, and cooperation with the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Council of Financial Regulators on market infrastructure resilience and cyber threats. More broadly, ASIC commits to a proportionate and risk-based regulatory approach, greater flexibility by sector or entity, regular review of guidance and legislative instruments, and more transparency on initiatives that materially affect the financial sector through the Regulatory Initiatives Grid. On governance, the statement confirms the ASIC Chair will hold executive management responsibility, while the Commission will act as a non-executive body under the Chair’s leadership. ASIC says it will refer to the Statement of Intent and the Government’s Statement of Expectations in its Corporate Plan and Annual Report, and will report publicly on implementation through its Annual Performance Statement.
Australian Securities & Investments Commission2026-07-16
Australian Securities and Investments Commission updates Statement of Intent, setting risk-based priorities for enforcement innovation climate disclosures and scams
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission issued an updated Statement of Intent in response to the Government’s 2026 Statement of Expectations, setting out a proportionate and risk-based regulatory approach. It prioritises consumer protection and enforcement, alongside work on digital finance and AI, climate disclosure supervision, scams, superannuation, business registers and market infrastructure resilience. ASIC will report implementation through its Corporate Plan and Annual Performance Statement.