Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� March, 2004

The Ceremony of Certification of Plans for Special Zones for Structural Reform Wednesday, March 24, 2004 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi attended the fourth Ceremony of Certification of Plans for Special Zones for Structural Reform held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. The system of Special Zones for Structural Reform is the one that harnesses the initiative of local governments and the private sector to carry out their own structural reform and permits exceptional regulations in response to local characteristics, based on the basic policy of "from public sector to private sector" and "from the state to the regions." The system went into full operation in April 2003. The fourth certification ceremony newly approved 88 plans, leading the total number of special zones created in this one year to 324 in all over the nation. Special zones approved on this occasion included the "Amagasaki Special Zone for Calculation Education" in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, which includes a "calculation class" and practices education using abacus in its education curriculum for primary schools, and the "Special Zone for Creation and Utilization of New Energy in the City of Trees" in Sendai City, Sendai Prefecture, which works on the development and employment of new form of energy such as fuel cells using natural gas and solar photovoltaic power generation. Prime Minister Koizumi bestowed the certificates to each recipient. Prior to conferring the certificates, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "There are already numerous special zones that have demonstrated significant achievements. The Koizumi Cabinet will continue with its steady realization of the proposals on special zones and spread their achievements nationwide."