Fintech News – UK needs to have a fintech taskforce to safeguard £11bn industry, says article by Ron Kalifa
The government has been urged to grow a high profile taskforce to guide innovation in financial technology as part of the UK’s progress plans after Brexit.
The body, which could be known as the Digital Economy Taskforce, would draw together senior figures coming from across government and regulators to co-ordinate policy and eliminate blockages.
The recommendation is actually a part of a report by Ron Kalifa, former boss on the payments processor Worldpay, who was asked by way of the Treasury contained July to think of ways to create the UK one of the world’s reputable fintech centres.
“Fintech is not a market within financial services,” alleges the review’s author Ron Kalifa OBE.
Kalifa’s Fintech Review finally published: Here are the five key results Image source: Ron Kalifa OBE/Bank of England.
For weeks rumours have been swirling about what might be in the long awaited Kalifa assessment into the fintech sector as well as, for the most part, it appears that most were spot on.
According to FintechZoom, the report’s publication comes nearly a year to the morning that Rishi Sunak originally said the review in his 1st budget as Chancellor of this Exchequer contained May last year.
Ron Kalifa OBE, a non-executive director with the Court of Directors on the Bank of England as well as the vice chairman of WorldPay, was selected by Sunak to head upwards the deep dive into fintech.
Here are the reports 5 important recommendations to the Government:
Regulation and policy
In a move that has got to be music to fintech’s ears, Kalifa has proposed developing and adopting typical data standards, meaning that incumbent banks’ slow legacy systems just simply won’t be sufficient to get by any longer.
Kalifa has also advised prioritising Smart Data, with a specific focus on amenable banking and also opening up a great deal more routes of interaction between bigger financial institutions and open banking-friendly fintechs.
Open Finance also gets a shout-out in the report, with Kalifa telling the government that the adoption of open banking with the intention of reaching open finance is of paramount importance.
As a result of their increasing popularity, Kalifa has also advised tighter regulation for cryptocurrencies and he’s additionally solidified the dedication to meeting ESG goals.
The report suggests the construction associated with a fintech task force and the improvement of the “technical understanding of fintechs’ business models and markets” will help fintech flourish in the UK – Fintech News .
Watching the achievements belonging to the FCA’ regulatory sandbox, Kalifa has also suggested a’ scalebox’ that will help fintech companies to develop and grow their operations without the fear of getting on the wrong side of the regulator.
Skills
So as to deliver the UK workforce up to speed with fintech, Kalifa has recommended retraining workers to meet the expanding needs of the fintech segment, proposing a series of low-cost education classes to do it.
Another rumoured add-on to have been integrated in the article is actually a new visa route to ensure high tech talent isn’t place off by Brexit, guaranteeing the UK remains a top international competitor.
Kalifa indicates a’ Fintech Scaleup Stream’ that will give those with the needed skills automatic visa qualification and also offer support for the fintechs hiring top tech talent abroad.
Investment
As earlier suspected, Kalifa implies the federal government create a £1bn Fintech Growth Fund to assist homegrown firms scale and expand.
The report implies that a UK’s pension pots could be a fantastic tool for fintech’s financial support, with Kalifa mentioning the £6 trillion currently sat inside private pension schemes inside the UK.
According to the report, a tiny slice of this container of cash could be “diverted to high growth technology opportunities as fintech.”
Kalifa has additionally suggested expanding R&D tax credits because of the popularity of theirs, with ninety seven per cent of founders having utilized tax incentivised investment schemes.
Despite the UK being house to several of the world’s most productive fintechs, very few have chosen to subscriber list on the London Stock Exchange, for fact, the LSE has observed a forty five per cent reduction in the number of companies which are listed on its platform after 1997. The Kalifa examination sets out measures to change that as well as makes several suggestions which seem to pre-empt the upcoming Treasury-backed review into listings led by Lord Hill.
The Kalifa article reads: “IPOs are actually thriving globally, driven in section by tech organizations that will have become essential to both consumers and organizations in search of digital resources amid the coronavirus pandemic and it is crucial that the UK seizes this particular opportunity.”
Under the recommendations laid out in the assessment, free float requirements will be reduced, meaning companies no longer have to issue not less than 25 per cent of their shares to the public at any one time, rather they will just need to provide 10 per cent.
The examination also suggests using dual share structures which are a lot more favourable to entrepreneurs, indicating they will be able to maintain control in their companies.
International
to be able to ensure the UK remains a best international fintech desired destination, the Kalifa assessment has advised revising the current Fintech News – “Fintech International Action Plan.”
The review suggests launching an international fintech portal, including a specific overview of the UK fintech arena, contact info for regional regulators, case scientific studies of previous success stories and details about the help and support and grants readily available to international companies.
Kalifa also hints that the UK needs to develop stronger trade connections with before untapped markets, focusing on Blockchain, regtech, payments and open banking and remittances.
National Connectivity
Another solid rumour to be established is actually Kalifa’s recommendation to create 10 fintech’ Clusters’, or regional hubs, to ensure local fintechs are offered the support to grow and grow.
Unsurprisingly, London is the only super hub on the listing, which means Kalifa categorises it as a worldwide leader in fintech.
After London, there are three big as well as established clusters in which Kalifa recommends hubs are actually proven, the Pennines (Leeds and Manchester), Scotland, with specific guide to the Edinburgh/Glasgow corridor, along with Birmingham – Fintech News .
While other facets of the UK were categorised as emerging or perhaps specialist clusters, including Bath and Bristol, Newcastle and Durham, Cambridge, West and Reading of London, Wales (especially Cardiff along with South Wales) Northern Ireland.
The Kalifa review indicates nurturing the top 10 regions, making an effort to focus on their specialities, while also enhancing the channels of interaction between the various other hubs.
Fintech News – UK needs a fintech taskforce to safeguard £11bn business, says report by Ron Kalifa