金融機能強化へ改正法　地銀合併、交付金で支援

　地域金融機関の合併や再編を支援する交付金制度の創設を盛り込んだ改正金融機能強化法が１９日の参院本会議で可決、成立した。銀行の業務範囲や出資規制を緩和する改正銀行法や、国際金融都市構想の一環で海外ファンドの参入要件を緩和する改正金融商品取引法も併せて可決、成立。金融機能の強化を通じ、新型コロナウイルス禍や人口減少で疲弊する経済の再生を後押しする。
　改正金融機能強化法では、人口減少地域で合併や経営統合など事業の抜本的な見直しを行う地方銀行や信用金庫を対象に、システム統合や店舗統廃合で発生する初期費用の３分の１程度、約３０億円を交付する制度を創設。申請期限は２０２６年３月末までの時限措置で、預金保険機構の剰余金を活用する。（2021/05/19-12:52）

The Diet, Japan's parliament, approved on Wednesday a bill to establish a grant program to spur business integration, including mergers, among regional financial institutions.
   The bill to revise the law on strengthening financial functions passed the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, at a plenary meeting. The House of Representatives, the lower chamber, gave its approval last month.
   Also enacted were a revision to the banking law to ease restrictions on the scope of bank's business and equity investments and an amendment to the financial instruments and exchange law to promote the entry of overseas investment funds into the Japanese market.
   The government hopes that strengthening financial functions will give a boost to the country's economy, battered by the novel coronavirus crisis and depopulation.
   Under the grant program, the government will pay some 3 billion to cover about one-third of initial costs related to business integration, including system and branch consolidations.