protections in the corporate, public and notforprofit sectors. Submissions were requested by 10 February 2017. Serious Financial Taskforce Multiagency — AFP, AGD, AUSTRAC, ATO, ASIC, Australian Border Force, ACC, CDPP. The Taskforce forms part of the , which is led by the AFP. Offences targeted by the Taskforce relate to serious fraud, money laundering and defrauding the Commonwealth. Current priorities include: criminality related to international tax evasion, fraudulent phoenix activity, trusts and superannuation. . Ongoing. Super guarantee noncompliance working group ATO, Treasury, ASIC, APRA, Employment The multiagency working group was established to investigate and develop recommendations to deal with superannuation guarantee noncompliance. An interim report was provided to the Minister in January 2017. Final report due March 2017. Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry into Superannuation Guarantee nonpayment Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry into the impact of nonpayment of the Superannuation Guarantee with particular reference to the economic impact, accuracy and adequacy of information, role and effectiveness of various elements and appropriateness of responses. Report due 12 April 2017 Payment Times and Practices Inquiry Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) ASBFEO, in partnership with the Small Business Commissioners in NSW, VIC, SA and WA, and in association with the Council of Small Business Australia and the Australian Institute of Credit Management, is currently conducting an inquiry to examine payment times and practices in Australia. final report was presented to the Minister for Small Business in 2017. Senate Inquiry into Corporate Avoidance of the Fair Work Act Senate Education and Employment Committees Inquiry into the incidence of, and trends in, corporate avoidance of the Fair Work Act 2009. The Inquiry is due to report by 7 August 2017. Submissions were requested by 25 November 2016.
Program/initiative Department Short description Timing National Business Simplification Initiative MultiAgency — Department of Industry, PM&C, Department of Health, DTA The Initiative which also works with states and territories aims to reduce the complexity of regulation for businesses and make dealings with government easier. The Initiative is also considering the future of Government registers. Established November 2016. Ongoing. Workrelated expenses ATO with the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA) BETA is working with the ATO to develop and test behavioural interventions that encourage taxpayers to claim correct workrelated expenses. delivery expected in March 2017. Completion by June 2017. Deferred GST scheme ATO (with BETA) BETA will work with the ATO business line to encourage noncompliant participants in the scheme to meet their eligibility requirements. delivery expected in April 2017. Completion by June 2017. International Student Helpseeking Department of Education and Training (DET) (with BETA) BETA is assisting DET, in partnership with FWO, to incorporate behavioural insights into messaging (texts and emails) that will be evaluated for their effectiveness in prompting helpseeking for workplace exploitation by international students. Completion by June 2017. Building persistent compliance Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) (with BETA) BETA is assisting FWO to incorporate behavioural insights into their audit correspondence and campaign activities in order to increase the rate of persistent compliance among small businesses as well as improve the efficiency of their audit processes. Completion by Dec 2017. More robust identity — verification and authentication — MyGov Multiagency — Digital Transformation Agency, DHS, DIIS Updated government digital identity arrangements. A better digital experience for users of government services — easy to use, better outcomes, improved security and privacy, ‘build once, use many times’. To be delivered via a beta at the end of with a plan to go to a production version in mid2018.
Credit card surcharging changes RBA, Treasury, ACCC Legislation to amend the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to establish a framework to ban surcharges imposed in respect of particular payment methods that exceed the cost of acceptance for those payment methods; and provide the ACCC with additional powers. In parallel, the RBA has determined a new standard relating to merchant pricing that defines the ‘cost of acceptance’ for card payments. RBA ; RBA — Large merchants — implemented September 2016. Other merchants — September 2017. New Payments Platform Industry initiative The is a major industry initiative to develop new national infrastructure for fast, flexible, data rich payments in Australia. The NPP is on track to being operational in the second half of 2017. However, the implementation of new functionality will be gradual. Fintel Alliance AUSTRAC A worldfirst privatepublic partnership, established by AUSTRAC, to tackle serious financial crime including money laundering and terrorism financing. The Fintel Alliance combines expertise and skills from law enforcement, national security, regulatory, academic and private sector partners. Commenced operation in November 2016. Official government launch 3 March 2017.