The Council of Financial Regulators (CoFR) – Kaunihera Kaiwhakarite Ahumoni – contributes to maximising New Zealand’s sustainable, economic wellbeing through effective and responsive regulation of the financial system in New Zealand.
Photo credit: freepik, teksomolika
Financial Inclusion is one of CoFR’s five priority themes. Recent publications in this area include the RBNZ’s Approach to Financial Inclusion and a joint message from the FMA and the Commerce Commission on supporting customers in financial difficulty.
31 October 2023
The Council of Financial Regulators (CoFR) held its quarterly meeting on Thursday 5 October 2023. The meeting was chaired by Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Adrian Orr. The Council discussed the current regulatory approach to protecting New Zealanders from financial scams, the regulatory approach to the credit unions and building societies sector, the Council’s coordinated approach to improving financial inclusion, and how the Council could better achieve and measure success in terms of its legislative mandate and the principles of good regulatory stewardship.
10 October 2023
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The Council of Financial Regulators has released an updated Regulatory Initiatives Calendar for the financial sector for Q3 2023. This document is produced to help the sector understand the aggregate picture of initiatives from CoFR members that are either planned or under way.
29 September 2023
Photo by Mourad Saadi on Unsplash
Climate-related risks is one of the Council of Financial Regulators’ (CoFR’s) five priority themes. CoFR has produced a one-page diagram which sets out the ongoing activities of each CoFR member in relation to this priority theme. This diagram is designed to help the sector understand who is responsible for what and demonstrates how the different activities fit alongside one another. A community of subject matter experts regularly meets to coordinate and cooperate in relation to these activities.
7 September 2023
Photo by Eduardo Soares on Unsplash
New Zealand’s payments landscape should offer “reliable and efficient payments that better meet the evolving needs of all New Zealanders”, says the Council of Financial Regulators (CoFR) in a vision statement released today. “The vision statement provides a focal point for both agencies and the payments industry as we plan, influence, innovate, co-ordinate, and track Aotearoa’s progress towards it.”
27 July 2023
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The Council of Financial Regulators has released an updated Regulatory Initiatives Calendar for the financial sector for Q2 2023. This document is produced to help the sector understand the aggregate picture of initiatives from CoFR members that are either planned or under way.
30 June 2023
The Relationship and Regulatory Charters set out the goals, principles, roles and functions of CoFR.
The two Charters:
Our vision and activities operate within the framework of the statutory responsibilities set for each agency and the preferences and priorities set by Government. Our charter sets out how we work together to deliver the vision.
CoFR Regulatory Charter (PDF 718KB)
The regulatory charter promotes good regulatory stewardship to monitor the performance and quality of the financial markets regulatory system.
CoFR has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate consistent cooperation and mutual assistance between CoFR members.
CoFR Memorandum of Understanding
The Memorandum of Understanding is a statement of the members’ intent to work together and cooperate in relation to the regulation of New Zealand’s financial system.
These are the current focus areas for CoFR. They represent the priority areas for CoFR, but the activities undertaken under each of them may vary – for example, taking forward specific projects or developing communities of interest to ensure that agencies can build a common understanding of the risks and opportunities in each area.
To help facilitate a smooth transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, while supporting the soundness and efficiency of the financial system.
To maintain an up-to-date and shared understanding of the cyber risk and threat landscape and ensure effective coordination and cooperation among agencies when dealing with cyber incidents that affect New Zealand’s financial system.
To ensure the regulatory system facilitates innovation that improves outcomes for customers and financial system participants.
To coordinate the work of CoFR agencies to improve consumers’ access to, and understanding of, financial services, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.
To coordinate the work of CoFR agencies to ensure that regulatory initiatives are developed and implemented in a joined up manner, to minimise burdens on the financial sector and ensure that they do not cause unintended barriers to entry.