Australia needs to ease complex rules to boost capital flows, says outgoing regulatory chief

Outgoing ASIC chair Joe Longo urged Australia to simplify complex corporate rules to revive capital flows, boost innovation and jumpstart a weak IPO market. Longo warned that an increasingly impenetrable regulatory framework and onerous compliance costs are deterring startups, bankers and foreign capital, and called for lighter disclosure rules and eased listing requirements. ASIC has already trimmed one week off the traditional 20-week listing timeline, but IPO activity remains subdued (only $11 million raised in Q1). The comments signal potential policy pressure on the government and ASX to pursue law reform; if implemented, changes could increase listings and capital market activity, supporting domestic equity market depth and possibly lifting sentiment around the Australia 200 index. Absent reform, continued regulatory friction may keep IPO issuance and capital inflows muted.