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First meeting of the Regional Development Implementation and Management Headquarters

September 24, 2014

First meeting of the Regional Development Implementation and Management Headquarters

Regional development is one of the key challenges facing the Abe government. On September 24, the Party's new Regional Development Implementation and Management Headquarters (Chairperson: Takeo Kawamura, member of the House of Representatives) held its first meeting. This was a joint meeting with a plenary meeting of the Policy Research Council (Chairperson: Tomomi Inada), and there was enthusiastic discussion of the challenges to be addressed and the directions in which to move. Shigeru Ishiba, the Minister in charge of Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy in Japan, was also present. Japan's outlying areas face serious population declines both from falling birth rates and from an outflow of young people to the major cities. The LDP wants to work in close coordination with the government to enact bold policies from new, longer-term perspectives.

 

The Regional Development Implementation and Management Headquarters, established as a Party Constitution Article 79 Organ, reports directly to the Party President. It will work in coordination with the government's "Headquarters for Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy in Japan" to enact policies for regional development, one of the "signature issues of the Cabinet" according to Secretary-General Sadakazu Tanigaki.

 

At the start of the meeting, Chairperson Kawamura said, "Regional development is crucial, and this may be our last opportunity. That is the type of passion and enthusiasm we must bring." He vowed to marshal all of the policy resources available to re-energize outlying areas, saying, "These are difficult issues, but the LDP has no future if it cannot make progress on them."

 

Policy Research Council Chairperson Inada identified regional development as a major topic, particularly for the current extraordinary session of the Diet and future economic policy, saying, "We need to draw on the insights from the perspective of local residents and communities to actively discuss and debate the policy options available to us."

 

In the first meeting, the Cabinet Secretariat reported on government structures and initiatives, deliberating and approving two bills for submission to the extraordinary session of the Diet: the "Bill for Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy in Japan" and the "Bill to Amend the Local Revitalization Act." Members in attendance reacted to the announcement of a forecast indicating the potential for half of all local governments to be dissolved by 2040 by urging the government to approach regional affairs with a sense of urgency.

 

Secretary-General Tanigaki indicated that efforts in this area would "have a major impact on the nationwide local elections," but also emphasized the need to do everything possible to create attractive communities, saying this was "something the Party absolutely must support."

 

The Headquarter plans to hold hearings with experts as it debates many issues facing outlying areas.

 

Key points in the Bill for Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy in Japan

  • The purpose is to halt the decline in population, remedy the over-concentration of population in the Greater Tokyo area, and support a vibrant Japanese society well into the future.
  • The bill contains an explicit statement of seven basic principles for regional development: to ensure the provision of the basic services required for life and work; to enhance the environment for young people to have the desire to marry, give birth, and raise kids; to create attractive employment opportunities that leverage the unique characteristics of local communities; to cooperate with local government entities to ensure the effective administration of policy; etc.).
  • The bill establishes a "Headquarters for Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy in Japan" with the Prime Minister as head and both the Chief Cabinet Secretary and the Minister in charge of Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy in Japan serving as deputy heads.
  • The Headquarters is tasked with the formulation of a "general strategy" that follows the basic principles and articulates specific goals and policy directions. It will also regularly review implementation status.
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