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

Prime Minister Meets with Prospective Commissioner of the Social Insurance Agency Wednesday, July 7, 2004 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi invited Mr. Kiyoshi Murase, the prospective Commissioner of the Social Insurance Agency, to the Prime Minister's Official Residence and held a meeting with him, with Mr. Hiroyuki Hosoda, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, also in attendance. Mr. Murase, vice-president of Sompo Japan Insurance Inc., is expected to advance the reform of the Social Insurance Agency, which is responsible for implementing the public pension system, thereby recovering the public trust in the system while employing his ideas and insight in the private sector. At the meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi gave his words of encouragement to Mr. Murase saying, "Boldly go all the way," to which Mr. Murase showed his resolve by responding, "Although I am rather nervous, I shall give my best effort." Furthermore, after his meeting with Prime Minister Koizumi, Mr. Murase told the press, "I cannot achieve this task solely by myself, so I hope to construct a reliable and trustworthy Social Insurance Agency with the wisdom and help of all people, from both the public and private sectors."