The meeting opened with a briefing from Mitsubishi Motors representatives on the company's expanded investigation into its recall problems. The company informed the committee of the scope of its investigations and explained the process in detail. An update was also given on the current status of all defects that require post-market measures and the progress of submissions to the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Following the briefing, a lively question and answer session was held in which committee members asked detailed questions centering on the appropriateness of the process and scope of the investigations.

Comments offered by committee members include:

• The first thing you need to do is change the name of your product information reports to raise awareness within the company of information on customer complaints relating to quality issues. This will also help you make a definite statement both inside and outside the company that you have embarked on corporate reform. The term "product information report" gives a strong impression that general product information, rather than quality-related complaints, is included in the reports. You need to find accurate information on quality complaints as quickly as possible and should prioritize the findings. You should also approach recall submissions from a broader perspective, including following up on defect reports via a number of departments at the same time.
  
  
• I get the impression that your investigations this time are more sweeping than those in 2000. However, I feel you should continue your investigations and probe even deeper.
  
  
• You should clarify the limitations of your previous investigations.
  
  
• You should include members from the Business Ethics Committee in your meetings for post-market measures to give us a chance to offer our opinions.
  
  
• You should revise your business ethics rules set out in 2000 to be more in line with recent socially accepted norms.

All committee members will visit Mitsubishi Motors' Okazaki plant on July 28 to see firsthand the work being done in relation to the extended investigations.

The next item on the agenda was how to use the three months' remuneration to be donated to charity by the chairman, vice-chairman, and president along with additional funds from the company. Committee members come up with several ideas on how to use the money for philanthropy and noted that the donation not be used a means to promote the company and should be made as soon as possible.

The meeting closed with a report from the company on comments it had received since the first Business Ethics Committee meeting and how it had handled them. The committee instructed the Mitsubishi Motors representatives to promptly inform people who offer comments that the company has received their comment.

Noboru Matsuda
Business Ethics Committee Chairman