[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the 29th meeting of the Council on National Strategic Special Zones at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, debate took place on the Bill for the Partial Amendment of the National Strategic Special Zones Law and the Special Districts for Structural Reform Law, and on an evaluation of the National Strategic Special Zones.

Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said,

“The National Strategic Special Zones Law that was enacted approximately three years ago has since been amended twice, expanding the list of regulatory reforms. The number of regulatory reforms has now increased to 55. As was discussed by the experts today, 233 businesses have been realized in the National Strategic Special Zones across the country based on these reforms.

We will submit a Bill for the Amendment of the National Strategic Special Zones Law that includes additional bold reforms to the current session of the Diet. We will increase the level of freedom accorded to leading-edge verification tests for inventions such as autonomous vehicles, with a view to realizing Japanese innovations. We will promote the acceptance of foreign experts in the consumer services and agricultural fields, which will lead to better services for foreign visitors and higher competitiveness. We will also make it possible for even small-scale childcare facilities to accept children age 3 and older, and have a variety of entities hold examinations for caregivers.

Along with the increase in regulatory reforms, we will work swiftly to spread the outcomes of the reforms in National Strategic Special Zones on a national level, beginning with those that are feasible.

We will not let up on regulatory reforms through National Strategic Special Zones. We hope to solicit bold regulatory reform proposals from passionate municipalities and businesses from across the country this spring, and aim for the fourth designation of National Strategic Special Zones by the end of this year.”