The  Australian Payments Clearing Association (APCA) has released its First Progress Report (pdf) on the development of an Account Switching Facilitation Package which will include a central registry facility to collect details of customers’ direct debit and credit arrangements to make it easier for customers to switch their accounts between banks.

The account switching facilitation package is to be aimed at personal customer account holders and will initially be the responsibility of individual financial institutions.

A further report will be made in October 2008.