SYDNEY, July 8 (Reuters) - The Australian securities regulator on Wednesday called on banks to bolster internal rules and comply with international standards for setting benchmark rates to prevent abuses that could undermine confidence in the financial system.
"Institutions and their employees should challenge existing practices to determine whether current conduct and behaviours are appropriate" the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) said in a report released on Wednesday.
The report also recommended that banks should follow guidelines set by the International Organization of Securities Commissions.
"Financial institutions must get this right," ASIC Commissioner Cathie Armour said in a statement. "Given their importance, it is critical to market confidence that financial benchmarks are robust and reliable."
The recommendations come as ASIC ramps up an investigation into Australia's banks over the alleged manipulation of the bank bills swap rate mechanism (BBSW), which was often used in setting commercial lending rates. ID:nL4N0OT0O4
Australia scrapped the BBSW last year after an exodus of banks from the panel that set the rate, the first major market to dismantle the tarnished structure.
ASIC said its probe was continuing and it was looking at the conduct of Australian institutions both at home and abroad as well as foreign financial institutions that are active in Australia.
ASIC earlier this year censured French lender BNP Paribas BNPP.PA after revealing its traders tried to influence the setting of the inter-bank interest rates. Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd ANZ.AX in November suspended seven staff involved in the probe. ID:nL3N0T92BO
Global regulators have been reforming rate-setting practices after Barclays Plc BARC.L , UBS AG UBSN.VX , Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc RBS.L and others were hit with fines totalling billions of dollars for rigging the London Interbank Offered Rate, known as Libor.
Libor and other similar inter-bank rates are used to price home loans, credit cards and other financial products worth trillions of dollars.