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

Submission of the Opinions of the Council for Decentralization Reform Wednesday, May 12, 2004 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi received the "Opinions on the Promotion of Local Governments' Administrative and Financial Reforms" from Mr. Taizo Nishimuro, the Chairman of the Council for Decentralization Reform, at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. Upon the request from Prime Minister Koizumi to share their opinions, the Council has already submitted the "Opinions on the Modality of Administrative Work and Projects" in accordance with the role-sharing between the central and local governments, and the "Opinions on the Reform Package of Three Issues" concerning the reform of state subsidies, review of the allocation of financial resources including the transfer of tax and financial resources to local governments, and reform of local allocation taxes. The Council this time compiled a final report on the "Promotion of Local Governments' Administrative and Financial Reforms," an agenda that has been left aside. Proposed in the Opinions are; deregulation of the requirement to establish Boards of Education and Agricultural Committees, abolishment of the requirement for director of health centers to possess a medical license and construction of a system where the content of government and ministerial ordinances are determined elastically through ordinance by local governments, as measures to expand the scope of freedom of the local governments. Further, with regard to the strategies on the reform of administrative and financial management, the Opinions proposed to consider the introduction of a "city manager system" where a leader with expertise is selected by assembly members.