What’s New on the FSA Website

Week of December 22 - December 26, 2014

This page contains the latest in events, developments, and updates to the FSA website.

Press Conferences

December 26, 2014:	Press Conference by the Minister for Financial Services (December 24, 2014) Japanese version
December 22, 2014:	Press Conference by the Minister for Financial Services (December 19, 2014) (Available in Japanese)

Public Comment

The following public comment is available in Japanese)

December 22, 2014:

Results of public comments on a revision to the regulatory notice designating transactions and lending/borrowing to be excluded from the transactions subject to the regulations on "Financial Instruments Obligation Assumption Business" «Summary» The FSA published the results of public comments on a revision to the regulatory notice designating transactions and lending/borrowing to be excluded from the transactions subject to the regulations on "Financial Instruments Obligation Assumption Business" based on the "Order for Enforcement of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act." The revision extends the applicable period of the current regulatory notice. No changes will be made to the original proposal.

Press Releases

(The Following press releases are available in English)

International

December 24, 2014:	Basel Committee of Banking Supervision published a consultative document “Revisions to the Standardised Approach for credit risk”
December 24, 2014:	Basel Committee of Banking Supervision published a consultative document “Capital floors: the design of a framework based on standardised approaches”
December 24, 2014:	Basel Committee of Banking Supervision published a consultative report “Fundamental review of the trading book: Outstanding issues”

Publication

December 25, 2014:	Publication of the 138th issue of the FSA’s monthly journal, Access FSA

Others

December 26, 2014:	Publication of the Exposure Draft of the “Japan’s Corporate Governance Code”- Seeking Sustainable Corporate Growth and Increased Corporate Value over the Mid- to Long-term -
December 26, 2014:	Updated statistics of money lending business
December 26, 2014:	Policy Statement by Taro Aso, Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Financial Services, at the Committee on Financial Affairs of the House of Representatives
December 26, 2014:	Policy Statement by Taro Aso, Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Financial Services, at the Committee on Financial Affairs of the House of Councilors
December 25, 2014:	Publication of the Financial Monitoring Policy for 2014-2015

(The Following press releases are available in Japanese)

Banks

December 26, 2014:	Publication of a progress report on Business Revitalization Plans «Summary» The FSA published a report on the progress of business revitalization by banks injected with public funds (Resona Holdings, Inc., Shinsei Bank Ltd., and Aozora Bank Ltd.) in the fiscal half-year ending September 2014, pursuant to the "Act on Emergency Measures for Early Strengthening of Financial Functions" and the "Deposit Insurance Act."
December 26, 2014:	Figures regarding suspended repayments following the Great East Japan Earthquake (as of September 30, 2014) «Summary» The FSA published the number of debtors and the amount of debts of which the contractual repayment has been suspended following the Great East Japan Earthquake, based on hearings with financial institutions in the three prefectures most heavily affected by the earthquake (Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima).
December 25, 2014:	Publication of a revised reference casebook on "Guidelines for Personal Guarantee Provided by Business Owners" «Summary» The FSA published a revised reference casebook to promote favorable practices of financial institutions in utilizing the "Guidelines for Personal Guarantee Provided by Business Owners," which was introduced in February 2014.

Securities

December 26, 2014:	Administrative penalty charge against MAM PTE. Ltd. for committing insider trading regarding the stocks of Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd. «Summary» On December 26, 2014, the FSA issued an order to impose an administrative penalty charge against MAM PTE. Ltd. for committing insider trading regarding the stocks of Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd. The defendant is prosecuted for committing insider trading by using the information received from an employee of a company in contract negotiations with Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
December 25, 2014:	Updated list of entities who are operating financial instruments business without proper registration (Kanto Local Finance Bureau) «Summary» The FSA (Kanto Local Finance Bureau) issued warnings to entities that are operating financial instruments business without proper registration.
December 24, 2014:	Revision of the FSA regulatory notice concerning the designation of related corporations of credit rating agencies (group designation concerning explanatory items of unregistered ratings) «Summary» The FSA updated the list of designated credit rating agencies. These designated credit rating agencies are unregistered agencies belonging to the same group as registered credit rating agencies and fulfill certain requirements. Securities Companies using the credit ratings of agencies on this list are subject to an eased duty of explanation compared to when using those of non-designated unregistered agencies. The revision is valid from January 1, to December 31, 2015.

Others

January 5, 2014:	Publication of “Financial Measures in Response to the Report of the Subspecies of Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu” (Chugoku Local Finance Bureau) «Summary» On December 30, the Chugoku Local Finance Bureau issued the statement “Financial Measures in Response to the Report of the Subspecies of Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu” to relevant financial institutions. The statement requests financial institutions to deal appropriately with applications for new loans or changes of loan terms from customers affected by the bird flu epidemic.
December 26, 2014:	Updated list of issuers of gift certificates in repayment procedures based on the "Payment Services Act" «Summary» The FSA updated the list of issuers who are repaying, have completed repaying or have announced the termination of use of prepaid payment instruments, as defined in the "Payment Services Act" (e.g. gift vouchers, gift certificates, and prepaid cards).
December 26, 2014:	Update of the measures taken in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake «Summary» The FSA updated the current status of measures taken by the FSA, local finance bureaus, and financial institutions in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake.
December 26, 2014:	Discontinuance of business of a foreign audit firm «Summary» FSA published, pursuant to the "Certified Public Accountants Act," the notification of discontinuance of business submitted by a foreign audit firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers Taiwan.
December 26, 2014:	Publication of the draft EDINET Taxonomy - 2015 «Summary» The FSA proposed draft amendments to the EDINET Taxonomy - 2015. The proposed amendments reflect the amendments of the "Ordinance on Terminology, Forms and Preparation Methods of Financial Statements."
December 26, 2014:	Updated technical documents of the XBRL reference for the draft Next Generation EDINET Taxonomy for 2015 «Summary» The FSA updated the technical documents of the XBRL reference for the draft Next Generation EDINET Taxonomy for 2015.
December 26, 2014:	Publication of foreign audit firms in the official gazette «Summary» The "Certified Public Accountants Act" stipulates that notifications by foreign audit firms shall be published in the official gazette. On December 26, 2014, the FSA published, in the official gazette, the notifications submitted by foreign audit firms that had not been published in the past two years. Although the list of foreign audit firms on the FSA's website is revised every year, including such firms that were not covered by the official gazette, it was regrettable that there was a delay in publishing these unpublished notifications in the official gazette.
December 24 2014:	Publication of the annual status concerning the appointment of the managerial personnel in the FSA in fiscal year 2014 «Summary» Based on the "National Public Service Act," Cabinet Order on the Appointment of Executive Personnel, and the Basic Policy on Appointment and Promotion decided by the cabinet on June 24, 2014, the FSA published the annual status concerning its appointment of the managerial personnel* in fiscal year 2014. * ”Managerial personnel” is officials who hold government positions classified as the Directors of Divisions and Offices in the FSA.
December 22, 2014:	Development of the FSA's facilitation scheme for the online administrative procedure «Summary» Pertaining to Article 10 of the "Act on Utilization of Information and Communication Technology in Administrative Procedure," the FSA published the development of its facilitation scheme for the online administrative procedure as of March 31, 2014.