As part of the 2020 Budget Digital Business Plan, the Federal government at the time announced the full implementation of the Modernising Business Registers (MBR) Program. The Legislation that enabled the MBR to proceed received Royal Assent on 22 June 2020.
The program was estimated to cost $480m and be completed in the 2023/2024 financial year at the time of its implementation.
Its primary aim was to simplify access to and combine the Australian Business Register (ABR) and thirty-one business registers administered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) onto a single platform. This platform would then be administered by the Commonwealth Registrar (the Registrar) under legislation and as a separate statutory function of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
