Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the first meeting of the Headquarters for Promoting Decentralization Reform at the Diet Building.

Discussion took place on the fourth revision of the system of obligations (gimuzuke) and frameworks (wakuzuke).

The Prime Minister said in his address,

"The Headquarters for Promoting Decentralization reform has been newly established under the Cabinet, headed by myself, for the entire government to unite efforts in the promotion of the decentralization reform.
Vitalization of Japan cannot be expected without the vitality of regional communities. In order to create attractive regions, it is necessary to carry forward the effort of decentralization reform, so that the regions can create characteristic communities based on their own ideas, utilizing the original ingenuity of each region.
The decentralization reform the government is currently engaged in traces back to the Decentralization Reform Committee, which was established by the First Abe Cabinet.
Regarding the revision of the system of obligations and frameworks, which is a topic to be discussed today, the decentralization act for the first and second rounds of revision already passed the Diet, and characteristic ordinances according to the actual situations of the regions are being established. The revision this time will be implemented following the specific proposals from local governments. We would like to carry forth our efforts for the submission of the bill for the new decentralization act.
In the future, it will also be necessary to promote the transition of the clerical work and authority from the national government to local governments.
I would like to ask each Cabinet member to take initiatives in cooperating with the promotion of the decentralization reform, without being constrained by the interests of the ministries and agencies, and I expect each of them to exert leadership in the reform in each of the areas the Cabinet members are responsible for."