損保４社に政策株売却求める　価格調整問題の温床―金融庁

　企業向け保険の入札で価格調整していたことが発覚した損害保険大手４社に対し、金融庁が「政策保有株」の売却を加速させるよう求めていることが９日、分かった。顧客企業と良好な関係を維持するための株式の持ち合いが、公正な競争をゆがめた恐れがあるとして、不透明な商慣行の抜本的な是正を求める。
　金融庁は昨年１２月、東京海上日動火災保険、損害保険ジャパン、三井住友海上火災保険、あいおいニッセイ同和損害保険に業務改善命令を発出。この中で、保険サービスの内容ではなく、政策株の多寡で契約の獲得・維持が決まる暗黙のルールが価格調整の温床になったと問題視していた。（2024/02/09-22:13）

Japan's Financial Services Agency has urged four major nonlife insurance companies found to have rigged insurance premiums for corporate clients to accelerate sales of cross-held shares, sources said Friday.
   The financial industry watchdog suspects that the environment for competition may have been distorted by the practice of holding shares in client companies to maintain good relations with them.
   In December last year, the FSA issued business improvement orders to the four major insurers--Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Sompo Japan Insurance Inc., Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. and Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co. The companies were accused of presetting premiums for insurance products for corporate clients before bidding.
   The agency believes that there was an unspoken rule to decide winners of insurance contracts with corporate clients, based on the numbers of cross-held shares instead of the quality of insurance services they offer, the sources said.
   As of the end of March 2023, the four companies held a total of about 6 trillion yen in cross-shareholdings. The companies are expected to include plans to accelerate sales of such shares in their business improvement plans to be submitted to the FSA at the end of this month.