Financial Sector (Collection of Data) (reporting standard) determination No. 67 of 2023
Assets by Counterparty GradeAssets by Counterparty Grade
Start here
Get a plain-English read of Assets by Counterparty Grade
Turn the raw legal text into a practical explanation grounded in Financial Sector (Collection of Data) (reporting standard) determination No. 67 of 2023.
This Reporting Standard sets out the requirements for the provision of information to APRA relating to a general insurer’s assets by counterparty grade.
It includes associated specific instructions and must be read in conjunction with Reporting Standard GRS 001 Reporting Requirements, including the general instruction guide.
Authority
This Reporting Standard is made under section 13 of the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001.
Purpose
2. The information reported to APRA under this Reporting Standard is used by APRA for the purpose of prudential supervision including assessing compliance with the capital standards.
Application and commencement
3. This Reporting Standard applies to all general insurers authorised under the Insurance Act 1973 (insurers). This Reporting Standard applies for reporting periods ending on or after 1 July 2023.
Information required
4. An insurer must provide APRA with the information required by this Reporting Standard for each reporting period.
Method of submission
5. The information required by this Reporting Standard must be given to APRA:
(a) in electronic format using an electronic method available on APRA’s website; or
(b) by a method notified by APRA prior to submission.
Reporting periods and due dates
6. Subject to paragraph 7, an insurer must provide the information required by this Reporting Standard:
(a) in respect of each quarter based on the financial year of the insurer; and
(b) in respect of each financial year of the insurer.
Note: The annual information required from an insurer by paragraphs 4, 5 and 6(b), together with certain annual information required by other reporting standards, will form part of the insurer’s yearly statutory accounts within the meaning of section 3 of the Insurance Act. This means that the information must be audited in accordance with paragraph 49J(1)(a) of the Insurance Act. Under subsection 49J(3), the principal auditor of the insurer must give the insurer a certificate relating to the yearly statutory accounts, and that certificate must contain statements of the auditor’s opinions on the matters required by the prudential standards to be dealt with in the certificate.
7. If, having regard to the particular circumstances of an insurer, APRA considers it necessary or desirable to obtain information more or less frequently than as provided by subparagraph 6(a) or 6(b), APRA may, by notice in writing, change the reporting periods, or specify reporting periods, for the particular insurer.
8. The information required by this Reporting Standard in respect of an insurer must be provided to APRA:
(a) in the case of quarterly information, within 20 business days after the end of the reporting period to which the information relates;
(b) in the case of annual information, within three months after the end of the reporting period to which the information relates; or
(c) in the case of information provided in accordance with paragraph 7, within the time specified by notice in writing.
Part Assets by Counterparty Grade - Financial Sector (Collection of Data) (reporting standard) determination No. 67 of 2023 - Assets by Counterparty Grade | Zoe
Note: Paragraph 49L(1)(a) of the Insurance Act provides that the auditor’s certificate required under subsection 49J(3) of that Act must be lodged with APRA in accordance with the prudential standards. The prudential standards provide that the certificate must be submitted to APRA together with the yearly statutory accounts. Accordingly, the auditor’s certificate relating to the annual information referred to in subparagraph 6(b) must be provided to APRA by the time specified in GRS 001 (unless an extension of time is granted under GRS 001).
9. APRA may, in writing, grant an insurer an extension of a due date in paragraph 8, in which case the new due date will be the date on the notice of extension.
Note: For the avoidance of doubt, if the due date for a particular reporting period falls on a day other than a usual business day, an insurer is nonetheless required to submit the information required no later than the due date.
Quality control
10. The information provided by an insurer under this Reporting Standard must be the product of systems, processes and controls that have been reviewed and tested by the Appointed Auditor of the insurer. This will require the Appointed Auditor to review and test the insurer’s systems, processes and controls designed to enable the insurer to report reliable financial information to APRA. This review and testing must be done on:
(a) an annual basis or more frequently if necessary to enable the Appointed Auditor to form an opinion on the reliability and accuracy of data; and
(b) at least a limited assurance engagement consistent with professional standards and guidance notes issued by the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board as may be amended from time to time, to the extent that they are not inconsistent with the requirements of Prudential Standard GPS 310 Audit and Related Matters.
11. All information provided by an insurer under this Reporting Standard must be subject to systems, processes and controls developed by the insurer for the internal review and authorisation of that information. It is the responsibility of the Board and senior management of the insurer to ensure that an appropriate set of policies and procedures for the authorisation of data submitted to APRA is in place.
Authorisation
12. When an officer, or agent, of an insurer provides the information required by this Reporting Standard using an electronic format the officer, or agent, must digitally sign the relevant information using a digital certificate acceptable to APRA.
13. If the information required by this Reporting Standard is provided by an agent who submits the information on the insurer’s behalf, the insurer must:
(a) obtain from the agent a copy of the completed information provided to APRA; and
(b) retain the completed copy.
14. An officer, or agent, of an insurer who submits the information under this Reporting Standard for, or on behalf of, the insurer must be authorised by either:
(a) the Principal Executive Officer of the insurer; or
(b) the Chief Financial Officer of the insurer.
Variations
15. APRA may, by written notice to the insurer, vary the reporting requirements of this Reporting Standard in relation to that insurer.
Transition
16. An insurer must report under the old reporting standard in respect of a transitional reporting period. For these purposes:
old reporting standard means the reporting standard revoked in the determination making this Reporting Standard; and
transitional reporting period means a reporting period under the old reporting standard:
(a) which ended before 1 July 2023; and
(b) in relation to which the insurer was required, under the old reporting standard, to report by a date on or after the date of revocation of the old reporting standard.
Note: For the avoidance of doubt, if an insurer was required to report under an old reporting standard, and the reporting documents were due before the date of revocation of the old reporting standard, the insurer is still required to provide any overdue reporting documents in accordance with the old reporting standard.
Interpretation
17. In this Reporting Standard:
(a) unless the contrary intention appears, words and expressions have the meanings given to them in Prudential Standard GPS 001 Definitions (GPS 001); and
(b) the following definitions are applicable:
Appointed Auditor means an auditor appointed under paragraph 39(1)(a) of the Insurance Act;
APRA-authorised reinsurer means an insurer carrying on reinsurance business. For the purposes of this definition, a Lloyd’s underwriter as defined under the Insurance Act is an APRA-authorised reinsurer if it carries on reinsurance business. The Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation is also an APRA-authorised reinsurer for the purposes of this definition;
capital standards means the prudential standards which relate to capital adequacy as defined in GPS 001;
Chief Financial Officer means the chief financial officer of the insurer, by whatever name called;
financial year means the financial year (within the meaning in the Corporations Act 2001) of the insurer;
foreign insurer means a foreign general insurer within the meaning of the Insurance Act;
Note: A reference to a ‘branch’ or ‘branch operation’ is a reference to the Australian operations of a foreign insurer.
general instruction guide refers to the general instruction guide set out in Attachment A of GRS 001;
Insurance Act means the Insurance Act 1973;
insurer means a general insurer within the meaning of section 11 of the Insurance Act;
Note: In this Reporting Standard, a reference to an ‘authorised insurer’, ‘authorised insurance entity’ or ‘licensed insurer’ is a reference to an insurer, and a reference to an ‘authorised reinsurance entity’ is a reference to an insurer whose business consists only of undertaking liability by way of reinsurance.
non-APRA-authorised reinsurer means any reinsurer that is not an APRA-authorised reinsurer;
Principal Executive Officer means the principal executive officer of the insurer, by whatever name called, and whether or not he or she is a member of the governing board of the insurer; and
reporting period means a period mentioned in subparagraph 6(a) or 6(b) or, if applicable, paragraph 7.
18. Unless the contrary intention appears, a reference to an Act, Prudential Standard, Reporting Standard, Australian Accounting or Auditing Standard is a reference to the instrument as in force from time to time.