Liaison Meeting of the Government and Ruling Parties

On July 3, 2024, Prime Minister Kishida attended a Liaison Meeting of the Government and Ruling Parties at the Prime Minister’s Office. 
 
In his opening remarks Prime Minister Kishida said: 

“The ordinary Diet session closed on June 23. All but one of the bills and treaties were passed, not to mention such important bills as the ones to amend the Political Funds Control Act, the Child and Child Care Support Act, and the Basic Act on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for the cooperation of the leading members of the Government and ruling parties. 

As for the Political Funds Control Act, there remain issues that require future consideration to flesh out details, such as what a third-party body should be like, so we will advance discussions in a responsible manner. 

On June 21, the Cabinet approved the Big-Boned Policy (Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform). The Japanese economy now faces a critical moment as to whether or not we are able to transition to a new stage of a growth-oriented economy driven by wage increases and investments. 

We will give shape to our vision and strategy for the transition in the process of budget formulation and institutional reforms in the future and implement them promptly. 

Under current circumstances, while prices remain high mainly due to the weakening yen, it is necessary to protect people who are struggling with the direct impact of soaring prices and help them to ride out the summer of oppressive heat. 

While taking into account the recommendations from the ruling parties, we will carry out fast-acting, one-time measures. Last week on June 28, we announced that we will provide subsidies to assist with electricity and city gas fees for three months, with a particular emphasis on August and September, as emergency assistance for overcoming extreme heat, while continuing fuel price subsidies only within this year. We will also take measures to continue support for users of liquefied petroleum (LP) gas and extra-high-voltage electricity, by utilizing expanded subsidies for local governments needing special support. 

Going forward, we will continue to work on well-tailored assistance for those who may be left behind in the transition to the new stage. 

We will advance initiatives to carefully listen to the voices of people on the ground and present solutions one by one to issues that cannot be postponed. 

As a first step, I visited Yamanashi Prefecture on June 29 to inspect a company and an agricultural corporation that will serve as models envisaged in the revised version of the Act on Strengthening Industrial Competitiveness and the Basic Act on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas, both of which were enacted in the recently closed Diet session. 

In addition, I paid my third visit to the areas affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake the day before yesterday (on July 1). Over the past six months, we have flexibly conducted thoroughgoing fiscal measures, such as the utilization of reserve funds worth over 550 billion yen in five installments, including 139.6 billion yen that we decided to use last week on June 28, as well as contribution of 52 billion yen to the reconstruction fund of Ishikawa Prefecture as special local allocation tax measures. Along with these efforts, there are still challenges that need to be tackled more swiftly, such as publicly-funded demolition of buildings, repairs of pipes in houses, and response to liquefaction damage. 

Under the leadership of the newly launched Noto Creative Reconstruction Task Force, we will swiftly grasp issues on the ground and resolve institutional bottlenecks facing us with a sense of speed. 

On July 5, I am scheduled to visit Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, to inspect a pilot project under the Day-care Program for All Children, the revised Child and Child Care Support Act enacted by the Diet in its most recent session. 

And today is a historic day when the issuance of the first new banknotes in 20 years will begin, and I visited the Head Office of the Bank of Japan just a short while ago. 

The banknotes feature the portraits of SHIBUSAWA Eiichi, TSUDA Umeko, and KITASATO Shibasaburo, who respectively represent capitalism, active participation of women, and science, technology and innovation in Japan. I believe that the notes are befitting to our times. 

With regard to diplomacy, if circumstances permit, I will visit the United States and Germany next week from July 10th to July 14th to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit and hold a Japan-Germany summit meeting. I intend to strengthen Japan-NATO cooperation and Japan-Germany collaboration going forward, with a view to making thorough preparations to cope with the current international situation. 

In addition, the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) will take place in Tokyo between July 16 and July 18, immediately after my return to Japan. We will have leaders-level participants from 14 Pacific island nations and two territories, along with representatives from Australia and New Zealand, for a strategic dialogue toward the realization of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law. 

While taking to heart the voices of people we heard on the ground, the Government and ruling parties will work as one to do their utmost to realize and implement policies. I ask for the continued understanding and cooperation from the members of the ruling parties.”