Link(s): FCA commits to being a more innovative, assertive and adaptive regulator
Context
The FCA has today published a commitment to be a more, innovative, adaptive and assertive regulator. The commitment reflects the FCA’s Business Plan for 2021/22 (the first annual plan since Nikhil Rathi joined the FCA as Chief Executive in October 2020) and was outlined in the speech delivered on 15th July 2021 as part of the FCA’s ‘Role and Business Plan’ webinar.
Key points to note
- The FCA believes that it must continue to become a forward-looking, proactive regulator; one that is tough, assertive, confident, decisive and agile; one that acts quickly and, in circumstances where it cannot act (for example, where issues arise at or outside the regulatory perimeter – so where issues are out of the reach of the FCA), engages enthusiastically with those who can.
- In line with the messages in the Business Plan and the webinar, the message is that the FCA is ‘continuing to be more innovative, assertive and adaptive.’
- In a statement on ‘our role’ the FCA says it will be accountable for its progress on:
- setting the bar high to support market integrity and sustainable innovation, ensuring firms start with high standards and maintain them
- using new approaches to find issues and harm faster; £120m will be invested in the data strategy over the next 3 years
- tackling misconduct to maintain trust and integrity, being proactive at the boundaries of the perimeter
- enabling consumers to make informed financial decisions
- investing in the FCA’s people, reshaping its culture and working with others so it achieved more.
Next actions
Firms should read the comments in the Chief Executive’s message in the Business Plan alongside the key messages delivered in the FCA Role and Business Plan webinar. This will help firms to understand how the FCA is planning its transformation and re-shaping.