Regional Bank Reorganization SBI Resona's Strategy is December 16th, 17:22
The reorganization of regional banks, which has been attracting attention, triggered by Prime Minister Suga's remark that "there are too many regional banks."
"SBI Holdings," a major online finance company, and "Resona Holdings," a major financial company, are working to strengthen relationships with local banks.
What is the aim of strengthening relations with regional banks, where the importance of the role of "supporting the local economy" is being renewed as the infection of the new coronavirus spreads?
I asked each top.
(Akihiro Shiraishi, Reporter, Ministry of Economic Affairs Hiroki Fujimoto)
Aim of "Fourth Mega Bank Concept"
"SBI Holdings" is expanding its capital and business alliance with regional banks under the "Fourth Mega Bank Concept".
Last month, it announced a capital and business alliance between Kirayaka Bank in Yamagata Prefecture and Jimoto Holdings, which owns Sendai Bank in Miyagi Prefecture, and seven regional banks have joined the initiative.
President Yoshitaka Kitao, who leads the SBI, has a relationship with Prime Minister Suga shortly after taking office.
Regarding the aim of forming a series of partnerships with regional banks, President Kitao said as follows.
President Kitao
"The business environment surrounding regional banks is extremely difficult. Interest rates are low in the short term, and fintech technology is evolving steadily in the medium term, but regional banks cannot take it in. In the long term, the entire local economy It is shrinking and the environment is never expected to improve. Then, I am helping with various wisdom on how to change regional banks. For example, advanced asset management We have dispatched specialists who have strengths, such as helping and strengthening the system. "
The effect of the capital and business alliance
President Kitao says that the aim is to support regional banks.
So has the profitability of the affiliated regional banks improved?
The alliance with Shimane Bank is appealing to SBI as a successful case.
Since the interim settlement of accounts in 2017, Shimane Bank has been in the red of "core business net profit", which indicates the profits of the bank's main business.
However, after forming a tie-up with SBI in 2019, banks will continue to reduce costs by consolidating stores and selecting and concentrating businesses, while SBI will be responsible for managing securities and strengthening its ability to propose financial products, resulting in profitability. It led to the improvement of.
As a result, in the financial results for the fiscal year ending March next year, it is expected that the core business net profit will be in the black for the first time in four years.
President Kitao
"The part where the ability to manage assets (such as securities) was inferior was very strong. The other is that system costs are incurred every year. For example, if security is not considerably advanced, hackers can easily break it. We are entering an era of aging. System costs will increase as we climb eels. In this situation, we should share this and use the same system for everyone. "
Distance to "Regional Bank Reorganization"?
However, President Kitao said that SBI would not take the initiative in reorganizing regional banks, and questioned the discussion about the reorganization as follows.
President Kitao
"It is difficult to improve the quality of management without being aware that banks themselves will change. Even if banks just merge, productivity will never increase, and it is doubtful that they will be effective. But each bank has a long history of competing against each other in the same area, so even if the banks suddenly merge one day, it's not so easy to really integrate. Let's
President Kitao wants to strengthen management support for local companies affected by the new coronavirus, such as by establishing a fund jointly with a bank that has a capital and business alliance.
"Resona" aiming for loose cooperation
On the other hand, in November, "Resona Holdings" decided to make "Kansai Mirai Financial Group", a regional banking group headquartered in Osaka, a wholly owned subsidiary.
Regarding the aim of this decision, President Masahiro Minami said as follows.
President Minami:
"The main aim is to speed up decision-making. It's not that it was slow until now, but that the world's changes and the opacity of the world have increased, so we ourselves are also speeding up to change. I want to further improve my responsiveness. As a result, I want to increase the growth speed of the entire group. "
At the core of the platform
Will "Resona" move to strengthen relations with other regional banks in the future?
President Minami emphasizes the stance of prioritizing strengthening cooperation by providing the company's products and financial services, although it does not rule out the possibility of investing in regional financial institutions or integrating systems.
President Minami
"In the context of improving the competitiveness of regional financial institutions and complementing problems, there are quite a few fields that can be connected relatively easily and easily with the changing times. As the core of the "co-creation platform," we will continue to work closely with regional financial institutions in a win-win manner. We will work closely with financial institutions throughout Japan. want to go"
A common platform is being created in collaboration with the "Joyo Bank" and the "Ashikaga Bank", which are based in Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures, respectively, and the "Mebuki Financial Group".
In June, Resona and Mebuki signed a strategic business alliance in the digital field.
In the spring of next year, "Joyo Bank" and "Ashikaga Bank" will also introduce apps developed by "Resona" and others that allow bank transactions.
Furthermore, the aim is to improve convenience by placing terminals with the same functions as apps in stores.
The root is a regional financial institution
"SBI" is expanding its capital and business alliance with regional banks under the "Fourth Mega Bank Concept", and "Resona" is compared with something.
When I asked President Minami how to make a difference from SBI, the following answer was returned.
President Minami
"If there is something a little different, we are a bank that has lived in the retail (for individuals and SMEs) world for 100 years. The root is that we are basically a regional financial institution, so to our customers I think that DNA has the same feelings. From the perspective of what kind of value we will deliver to regional financial institutions and customers in the future, we will firmly strengthen our competitiveness and prepare for it. I think it ’s important. ”
As the environment of ultra-low interest rates continues, Resona wants to promote loose cooperation with regional financial institutions and aim to further dig deeper into the domestic market.
The role of regional banks in the corona wreck
It is expected that it will take time for the economy to normalize due to the re-expansion of the new coronavirus infection, the review of the Go To campaign business, and the request to shorten the business hours of restaurants in some areas.
Under such circumstances, what is required of regional banks is to first support the cash flow of local companies and to support initiatives that will lead to the next growth, such as business format conversion.
The ultimate purpose of tie-ups with major financial institutions should be to strengthen the management base to support the local economy, and it is never a tie-up that simply sells the products and services of the major financial institutions with which it has partnered. Must not be.
Article 1 of the Banking Act stipulates the purpose of banks as follows.
Article 1 of the Banking Act
"This law, in view of the public nature of banking operations, maintains credit, secures the protection of depositors, etc., and promotes sound and appropriate management of banking operations in order to facilitate finance. The purpose is to contribute to the sound development of the national economy. "
The "nations" mentioned here should be those who live in the area for the regional banks.
The mission of regional banks is to contribute to the sound development of the regional economy, and it is being questioned whether it is a reorganization or a partnership to fulfill that mission.
Reporter of the Ministry of Economic Affairs
Akihiro Shiraishi
Joined the
Bureau in 2015 After working in charge of the steel and chemical industries, interviewed the Financial Services Agency and regional banks from September.
Hiroki Fujimoto,
Reporter of the Ministry of Economic Affairs
Joined the
Bureau in
2005
After working at the Yamaguchi Bureau and the Osaka Bureau, he is currently in charge of the financial industry.