Press Conference by SUZUKI Shunichi, Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Financial Services

(Excerpt)

(Tuesday, October 17, 2023, 10:51 am to 10:59 am)
 

Q.

The Financial Services Agency (FSA) issued an order for the Zengin Net to submit a report. I would like to ask again for your opinion on the other day’s trouble in the payment clearing system. I would also like to ask you what points you emphasize when you examine the trouble by issuing such an order and what your future response policy is, including on-site inspections.

A.

First, I feel that it is regrettable that owing to the occurrence of the recent system trouble, money that users needed for their lives failed to be sent to them as planned, and that the system trouble affected the lives of people and economic activities, including delays in the settlement of accounts between businesses.
On Friday, October 13, in accordance with the Payment Services Act, we issued an order for the Zengin Net, an organization responsible for the operation of the payment clearing system, to submit a report on analysis of the cause of the recent incident and measures to prevent the recurrence of similar problems in the future.
We will properly follow up on this incident so that all parties concerned will take measures to prevent any similar cases to occur.
Our next response policy, which you pointed out, including on-site inspections at the Zengin Net, will be considered as required after closely examining details of various reports and other information