Mizuho Leasing Group's definition of "compliance" is "to comply with the laws and regulations and to practice honest and fair business activities in accordance with the norms of society." Duly recognizing that substandard compliance risks undermining the Group's very foundations, we are working to strengthen the compliance system considering that the "principles of compliance" need to be evaluated highly by shareholders and the market and to earn the trust of society.
To ensure thorough compliance, the Group has formulated rules and other materials based on the Basic Policy for Compliance. We have in place a structure headed by the Board of Directors and directed by the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). The CCO, together with the Legal and Compliance Division, is ultimately responsible and authorized to plan and manage compliance-related affairs as a whole, promote general compliance-related affairs, take preventive measures against money laundering, etc., and block any relationships with anti-social forces, etc., as well as grasp and control the state of the Group's compliance and provide guidance and supervision.
In addition, we have formulated Mizuho Leasing Group's Corporate Code of Conduct, which sets out specific action guidelines for directors and employees, and have published a Compliance Manual that sets out the Group's compliance standards, outlining key rules and regulations to follow and compliance activities to conduct during business operations. The Compliance Manual is also available on the corporate intranet so that directors and employees can refer to it easily in the course of their daily work. Moreover, as a practical scheme to ensure that compliance is thoroughly applied, the Group has created a Compliance Program. Through job level-specific compliance training such as that for general managers, theme-specific training such as that on preventing insider trading, as well as e-learning sessions, we are endeavoring to drive home the principles and standards of compliance to all of our members, thereby improving the Group's compliance and nurturing awareness.
To make early detection of misconduct in the workplace easy, we have established a whistleblower system through which employees can safely consult about and report organized or individual violations of laws by directors and other employees. In addition to providing an internal hotline, the system includes an external contact point at an attorney's office. A contact point for accepting reports is posted on the in-house intranet so employees can make a report at any time. The Group also takes appropriate measures and stipulates in its Rules on the Protection of Whistleblowers that a reporter shall not receive disadvantageous treatment for the reason of making a report, so that the reporter's workplace environment will not be adversely affected.
As set forth in the Basic Policy for Compliance, the Mizuho Leasing Group is committed to strict compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and rules and to conducting honest and fair business activities in accordance with the norms of society.
Under this basic policy, we recognize the prevention of bribery and corruption as a matter of material importance. Therefore, based on internal rules such as the Rules for the Prevention of Bribery and Corruption, we prohibit officers and employees from engaging in such activities to ensure the thorough adherence to honest and fair business practices. In addition, we conduct our global business activities in line with Japanese and overseas laws and regulations, the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, the FCPA, and the UK Bribery Act, among other international standards.
The Mizuho Leasing Group implements measures to prevent bribery and corruption in connection with the following activities:
- Entertainment and gifts
- Donations
- Personnel recruitment, etc.
- Facilitation payments*
*Small payments made to public officials for the purpose of facilitating or expediting administrative
procedures
- Outsourcing and contracts for the engagement of third parties
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Other business activities
In accordance with the above measures, our company has established the necessary procedures to prevent bribery and corruption, including the Operational Guidelines for the Prevention of Bribery and Corruption. An advance approval process is in place for any acts that constitute or may result in bribery or corruption, ensuring the appropriate implementation of the approval and related procedures.
We conduct periodic checks and monitoring of compliance with these procedures. In the event that any issues or necessary improvements are identified, we promptly take corrective measures and, where necessary, review our management structure and operations. Furthermore, we promote officers’ and employees’ awareness and understanding of laws, regulations, and internal rules related to bribery prevention through training and other activities.
We also encourage our staff to report through the whistleblower system when they encounter acts that constitute or may constitute bribery.
In FY2025, no cases of corruption were identified within our company, none of our employees were dismissed or subject to disciplinary action due to corruption, and our company was not subject to any corruption-related fines or monetary penalties.
In addition, our company made no political contributions in FY2025.
