Australia grants first banking licence to online startup

* Move after regulator criticised for not driving competition

* volt bank limited gets first restricted licence

* Licence approved as banks face intense scrutiny

By Paulina Duran

SYDNEY, May 7 (Reuters) – Australia authorised its first banking licence to an internet-only startup on Monday, a step the banking regulator said it hoped would improve competition in a sector dominated by four major lenders.

The Australian Prudential (LON:) Regulation Authority (APRA) introduced the new “restricted” accreditation for new retail banks on Friday and granted the first such licence to volt bank Ltd, an online platform.

The APRA’s move comes just months after it was criticised for failing to stimulate competition and contributing to an environment that promotes record profits for the dominant Big Four: Commonwealth Bank , National Australia Bank , Australia and New Zealand Banking Group and Westpac Banking Corp . about A$1.8 trillion ($1.35 trillion) of mortgages on their books, the Big Four dominate the market and hold the lion’s share of deposits and consumer credit loans such as credit cards.

The licence allows volt, which has raised A$15.7 million in equity for research and platform testing, to raise A$2 million in deposits via its online platform, a spokesman for the company said.

Restricted licencees can call themselves a “bank” but cannot “actively” conduct business and have two years to become fully licenced, according to APRA’s guidelines.

Licencees can seek permission to operate and grow assets to up to A$100 million while they engage with the regulator to obtain their full credentials, according to the guidelines.

APRA had received several other applications from companies seeking the new restricted licence, APRA said on Friday.

“volt bank will show Australians how banking can be done in a simpler and better way,” said volt Chief Executive Steve Weston.

“The trust between many Australians and their banks has been broken and the path to repair starts with new market entrants who are willing to do things differently,” Weston added.

Australian banks are the target of public anger after a string of scandals in recent years led to a powerful investigation into misconduct in the sector which has exposed even more abuses of power and unethical conduct by the banks.

The investigation, however, has also revealed unscrupulous practices by smaller financial companies.

($1 = 1.3291 Australian dollars)

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