What’s New on the FSA Website

Week of April 27 - May 8, 2015

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

Press Conferences

April 30, 2015:	Press Conference by the Minister for Financial Services (April 28, 2015) (Japanese version)
April 27, 2015:	Press Conference by the Minister for Financial Services (April 24, 2015) (Available in Japanese)

Public Comments

(The following public comments are available in Japanese)

May 1, 2015:	Publication of a draft regulatory standard pursuant to the provisions of Article 62 of the “Order on book-entry transfer of corporate bonds and shares” corresponding to the introduction of the "Social Security and Tax Number System" «Summary» The FSA proposed the updated regulatory standard pursuant to the provisions of Article 62 of the “Order on book-entry transfer of corporate bonds and shares,” corresponding to the introduction of the "Social Security and Tax Number System," a numbering system to identify individuals in administrative procedures. The amendment complements the cases where the book-entry transfer institution and the account management institution may provide specific personal information with the issuer of bonds and shares in cases in which a person opens an account for new book-entry transfer investment equity units in connection with rights-offering.
May 1, 2015:	Publication of a draft 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 proposed a draft 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 Instrument and Exchange Act." The revision aims to extend the applicable period of the current regulatory notice from June 30, 2015 to December 31, 2015. Excluded transactions are credit default swap transactions cleared by foreign clearing organizations that refer to foreign countries or foreign corporations, the selling/buying/lending/borrowing of foreign government bonds cleared by designated foreign clearing organizations, and foreign currency denominated interest rate swap transactions cleared by designated foreign clearing organizations.
April 30, 2015:	Publication of the updated guidelines regarding regulation for risk retention in securitization transactions «Summary» The FSA finalized revisions to the comprehensive guidelines for supervision regarding regulation for risk retention in securitization transactions. Revisions reflect recommendations on risk retention requirements for incentive alignment between suppliers of securitization products (e.g. originators/sponsors) and investors which were stated in a final report of "Global Developments in Securitization Regulation – Consultation Report" published by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) in November 2012.
April 28, 2015:	Publication of the updated Cabinet Office Ordinance on the revision of the FSA-related Cabinet Office Ordinance associated with the enforcement of the "Act for partial revision of the Companies Act" «Summary» The FSA finalized amendments to the Cabinet Office Ordinance on the revision of the FSA-related Cabinet Office Ordinance associated with the enforcement of the "Act for partial revision of the Companies Act," (by reference to public comments collected between February 4, 2015 and March 6, 2015.) The Cabinet Office Ordinance has been enforced from May 1, 2015 onwards.

Press Releases

(The following press releases are available in English)

International

April 28, 2015:	Second Issue of the AFPAC Newsletter

Banks

April 30, 2015:	Information sharing of cases regarding unauthorized use of bank accounts

Publication

April 30, 2015:	Publication of the 142nd issue of the FSA’s monthly journal, Access FSA

Others

May 8, 2015:	Updated list of issuers of gift certificates in repayment procedures based on the "Payment Services Act"
April 30, 2015:	Update on measures taken in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake (as of April30, 2015)
April 30, 2015:	Publication of "IFRS Adoption Report"
April 30, 2015:	Updated statistics of money lending business

(The following press releases are available in Japanese)

Banks

April 30, 2015:

Figures regarding suspended repayments following the Great East Japan Earthquake (as of January 31, 2015) «Summary» The FSA published the number of debtors and the amount of debt for 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).

Securities

May 7, 2015:

The first hearing of an administrative penalty case against a person regarding the insider trading of shares of NISSHIN FUDOSAN Co., Ltd. will be held on May 14, 2015 «Summary» On May 14, 2015, the first hearing of an administrative penalty case regarding the insider trading of shares of NISSHIN FUDOSAN Co., Ltd. will be held. In the hearing, the defendant will be examined for committing insider trading by using information received from an officer of NISSHIN FUDOSAN Co., Ltd.

Others

May 8, 2015:	Disciplinary action against a certified public accountant (1) «Summary» The FSA suspended the business of a certified public accountant for a month from May 9 to June 8, 2015, pursuant to Article 31 (1) of the "Certified Public Accountants Act." The reason for the suspension was that the Certified Public Accountant was disciplined pursuant to the "Certified Public Tax Accountant Act" and was therefore deemed to have committed a discreditable act prohibited by Article 26 of the "Certified Public Accountants Act."
May 8, 2015:	Disciplinary action against a certified public accountant (2) «Summary» The FSA suspended the business of a certified public accountant for two months from May 9 to July 8, 2015, pursuant to Article 31 (1) of the "Certified Public Accountants Act." The reason for the suspension was that the certified public accountant was disciplined pursuant to the "Certified Public Tax Accountant Act" and was therefore deemed to have committed discreditable acts prohibited by Article 26 of the "Certified Public Accountants Act."
May 8, 2015:	Publication of “Algorithmic Trading Briefing Note” by SSG (Senior Supervisors Group) «Summary» On April 30, 2015, SSG (Senior Supervisors Group*) published “Algorithmic Trading Briefing Note.” SSG held a series of discussions on key points for risk management system of financial institutions regarding algorithmic trading. The briefing note compiles the knowledge and information obtained through the discussions. *The Senior Supervisors Group (SSG) is a forum for senior representatives of supervisory authorities to engage in dialogue on risk management practices, governance, and other issues concerning complex, globally-active financial institutions. The group is composed of the senior executives of supervisory agencies from the European Union and ten countries including Japan.
April 30, 2015:	Activities of the FSA's Counseling Office for Financial Services Users in 2015-1Q «Summary» The FSA’s Counseling Office for Financial Services Users offers a counseling service in response to inquiries and comments from financial services users. In the first quarter of 2015 (between January 1 and March 31, 2015), the counseling office received 9,606 inquiries and comments, a slight increase from the 9,095 cases in the fourth quarter of 2014 (between October 1 and December 31, 2014). Among them, 449 cases were received through the ex-ante consulting services.
April 30, 2015:	Publication of the (amended) EDINET Taxonomy - 2015 (the amendment reflecting the revised Cabinet Office Ordinance pertaining to the revision of the "Companies Act") «Summary» The FSA published the amended EDINET Taxonomy – 2015. The amendment reflects the revised cabinet office ordinance on the revision of the FSA-related Cabinet Office Ordinance associated with the enforcement of the "Act for partial revision of the Companies Act."
April 30, 2015:	Updated technical documents of the XBRL reference for the Next Generation EDINET Taxonomy – 2015 «Summary» The FSA updated the validation guidelines and list of validation messages regarding the XBRL reference for the Next Generation EDINET Taxonomy – 2015.
April 28, 2015:	Female proportion within the newly appointed FSA officials as of fiscal year 2015 «Summary» In fiscal year 2015, 17 female officials among 36 newly appointed FSA officials passed the national public service officials recruitment examination. Female officials make up 47.2 percent of the total, which is well above the government’s target gender ratio of 30 percent for fiscal year 2015.