Japanese
(Provisional Translation)
May 25, 2020

Future Responses in Consideration of the Declaration of the Cancellation of a State of Emergency in Relation to COVID-19 Infection
(Statement by Mr. Aso, Minister of State for Financial Services)

  With regard to the state of emergency declared in response to the spread of COVID-19 infection, the government issued a declaration of the cancellation thereof on May 25, 2020.
  Accordingly, we request financial institutions to continue providing services, while continuously making efforts to prevent the spread of infection, even after the cancellation of a state of emergency was declared. When doing so, financial institutions should adopt appropriate methods to perform duties in accordance with the circumstances of their respective areas.
  The general public is also requested to offer cooperation continuously as follows.

(Request to financial institutions)
  Financial institutions are requested to make efforts for preventing the spread of infection in line with the policies and requests of the central government and respective prefectures, and to endeavor to properly continue providing services from the perspective of protecting customers and maintaining financial functions to support economic activities of the people, including cash flow support for companies, even after the cancellation of a state of emergency was declared.
  Financial exchanges are also requested to endeavor to properly continue services in the same manner from the perspective of maintaining market functions.

(Request to financial service users)
  Even after the cancellation of a state of emergency was declared, financial institutions, etc. will continue their efforts to avoid the three Cs (closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings) at their branches in continuing to provide services, from the perspective of preventing the spread of infection, in line with the policies and requests of the central government and respective prefectures.
  The general public is also requested to use the internet, call centers, ATMs, etc. so as to avoid face-to-face contact wherever possible.
  Cases of fraud or illegal lending taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic are highly likely to occur. The FSA will take countermeasures in cooperation with relevant organizations, but I would like to ask you to be careful about such risks.