The Federal Government has not gone far enough in beefing up unpaid superannuation laws, according to Industry Super Australia (ISA).
The industry funds organisation responded to the Government’s announcement of new legislation by claiming that while it is welcome, it misses a key opportunity to align compulsory superannuation payments with regulator wage cycles.
ISA public affairs director, Matt Linden said that while the Government’s legislative moves to enhance Australian Taxation Office (ATO) enforcement powers and utilise Single Touch Payroll were welcome, the changes needed to go much further.
“In not aligning compulsory superannuation payments with regular wage cycles, these laws fall seriously short of protecting worker interests,” he said. “A four-month delay from when a super entitlement appears on a payslip to when an employer has to pay it to an employees’ fund is at odds with our digital world.”
Linden said it was also time for the Government to reconsider the $450 per month super guarantee threshold.
“In the gig economy with increased casual work, the meagre threshold at which employees become eligible for super has reached its use-by-date,” he said.
A member of the super fund has approached ASIC to investigate potentially misleading or deceptive representations by UniSuper regarding the holdings of its sustainable portfolios.
The median growth fund delivered 1.9 per cent in March, adding to the “stunning” rally that has seen super funds gain 11 per cent since November.
Vanguard has affirmed its support for the current super performance test, emphasising the importance of keeping the process straightforward.
While some superannuation funds have gone down the route of internalisation, others say they favour ‘smart partnering’ with external managers for diversification appeal.
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