No additional private equity regulation needed: IFSA



Richard Gilbert
The Investment and Financial Services Association (IFSA) has made a submission to the Government expressing its view that no additional regulatory measures are needed in relation to private equity deals.
The submission was made as part of the Senate Standing Committee on Economics inquiry into Private Equity Investment currently being held in Canberra.
The industry body has cited three main reasons for its stance on this subject, the first being that these types of transactions do not lead to situations that spark new regulatory issues.
IFSA also feels that while private equity deals can create governance issues that have to be dealt with properly, these have to be managed on a case-by-case basis rather than with a general approach.
IFSA also believes the private equity deals that have been proposed and completed in the market have not caused any significant shifts in capital away from the publicly listed regulated sector.
Furthermore, the industry association has expressed its feelings that the private equity sector in this country is evolving in-line with global experience in this area, that these transactions help to promote competition in the quest for corporate control, that they provide greater opportunities for expansion by local organisations, and that they offer an alternative capital raising mechanism from public markets.
IFSA chief executive Richard Gilbert said: “IFSA is supportive of private equity investment and believes that, like any other form of investment, it presents its own set of unique risks and opportunities, which investors must appreciate.
“The submission also outlines the current regulations affecting private equity transactions, and further puts the case to the Senate that, in IFSA’s view, there would not appear to be any compelling need for additional regulation,” he added.
Recommended for you
BlackRock has announced its plan to acquire real estate investment firm ElmTree Funds which will be integrated into its new private financing solutions business.
With share price growth of 45 per cent for FY25, Australian Ethical has shared why it believes the firm has done so well compared to its active peers.
ETF investors would be wise to consider global or European exposure for their equity ETF allocations, according to AXA IM, with US government action expected to hit both its equity and bond performance.
A specialist ETF provider is seeking to become “the new Betashares” with its active ETFs, thanks to its use of algorithms to achieve outperformance.