WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday said it was conditionally allowing stock exchanges to lower costs tied to a comprehensive market surveillance system that has been in development for more than a decade. In a statement, SEC Chair Paul Atkins said that the so-called Consolidated Audit Trail "must be more efficient and cost-effective," especially in light of invalidating the funding model adopted under former President Joe Biden in 2023. (Reporting by Douglas Gillison in Washington) (The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)