90% of regional financial institutions do not set individual email addresses for sales staff

A survey by the Financial Services Agency, which examines the IT environment of regional banks, found that 90% of regional financial institutions did not set individual email addresses for sales staff.

As the effects of the new coronavirus continue for a long time, there are cases where the means of communicating with business partners is limited to face-to-face and telephone calls, and the Financial Services Agency plans to revise the supervisory guidelines and promote the development of communication means.

Last December, the Financial Services Agency conducted the first questionnaire survey on the IT environment for regional banks, credit unions, and credit unions nationwide, and received responses from almost all 495 regional financial institutions.

When asked if they had individual email addresses, 91% of the total were regional financial institutions that answered that they did not.

If the sales person cannot use e-mail, the exchange of materials with the business partner may be limited to telephone, fax, and face-to-face.

Under these circumstances, the Financial Services Agency is concerned that sales representatives may use private terminals to exchange information with the outside and leak information.

In addition, only 49% of regional financial institutions have introduced an online conferencing system that connects stores and business partners.

The Financial Services Agency will share the results of this survey with the Regional Banks Association of Japan, etc., and will revise the supervisory guidelines of regional financial institutions to promote the development of communication means.

Expert "Regional financial institutions themselves start digitization"

Kumi Fujisawa of Sophia Bank, a think tank familiar with the management of regional financial institutions, said, "Regional financial institutions that say that they will help digitize the region in order to revitalize the region's economy will allocate 10% of the email addresses. The honest impression is that not doing anything is nothing more than a shock. "

On top of that, "In order for customers to expand their business and increase their productivity, digitization is indispensable, and financial institutions must fully understand it before they can help. First of all, regional financial institutions themselves. Needs to embark on digitization. "