Standard & Poor's said Monday that the Finance Ministry's administrative sanctions on Takefuji Corp. will have only a slight impact on the firm's ratings.

The ministry on Friday imposed the sanctions on the consumer loan company for illegal payment collection practices at its Moriguchi branch in Osaka. The branch was ordered to suspend operations for 15 days starting Saturday.

The sanctions affect Takefuji's business "only to a minor extent," as they were imposed on only one moderate-size branch out of 529, S&P said.

However, Takefuji's profitability and financing base could be eroded due to possible deterioration in the company's reputation and further tightening of regulations on the consumer finance industry, the U.S. credit-rating agency added.