MAFC - Melbourne APEC Finance Centre

Melbourne APEC Finance Centre

Asia-Pacific Regulators' & Industry Dialogue

The Minister for Industry and Trade for the Victorian Government, the Hon Theo Theophanous MLC, gave the welcome address to delegates of the dialogue from Australia and across the Asia-Pacific. The Minister noted the opportunity Victoria has to work with economies in the region as the development of superannuation and funds based products quickens.

Business and Finance journalist, Terry McCrann, opened the dialogue. In his address delegates were given an insight not only into the developments that are taking place across financial systems, but the very transformation that is taking place here and now, driven by high levels of sophistication in product development and transactional processes.

Participants from agencies, including the Mandatory Provident Funds Scheme Authority of Hong Kong, IMF, the World Bank, NAB, the Securities Commission of Malaysia and Vanguard Investments participated in a two-day dialogue that focused on discussions concerning how economies in the region can meet the major challenge of providing income for workers when they retire.

Discussions included preconditions to facilitate the development of private pensions, how to protect the wealth of accumulating pensions, and what role regulators can play to ensure an effective framework that manages risk, applies effective governance arrangements and maintains financial system stability.

The program was sponsored by the Victorian Government and organised by MAFC at Monash University.

Discussion papers from the dialogue are available here.

Photography by Laki Sideris