Compulsory Automobile Liability Insurance Council: Press Conference By KATAYAMA Satsuki, Japan Minister Of Finance And Minister Of State For Financial Services

I would like to ask about the Compulsory Automobile Liability Insurance Council. During the committee meetings, concerns about information leakage were raised on two occasions. On this point, could you clarify specifically what measures were taken in response to the initial concerns raised and what measures will be implemented going forward to prevent information leakage? Putting technicalities aside, in the case of a competitive bidding process, any information leakage would cast doubt on fairness and neutrality and could lead to the process being deemed unsuccessful. This, in turn, could damage the trust of approximately 93 million policyholders. I would also appreciate your views on this matter.

As a general matter, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) consistently instructs all relevant parties to ensure strict information management, and if there are any shortcomings, we must further reinforce these measures. With regard to this matter, while concerns have been raised, at this stage we are not aware of how or from where any information may have been disclosed. That said, all parties involved clearly understand the importance of properly managing information and complying with confidentiality obligations. We will continue to thoroughly ensure compliance with confidentiality requirements among all relevant parties and strengthen our information management efforts in order to prevent any potential leakage. We remain committed to maintaining strict information controls so that fair and neutral deliberations are not compromised.