Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the 15th meeting of the Industrial Competitiveness Council at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, discussion took place on the "Action Plan for Strengthening Industrial Competitiveness (draft)" and the "Review Guidelines for the Progress of the Growth Strategy (draft)." 

Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said in his address,

"The execution of the Growth Strategy will be put to the test this year. This year is indeed the real test. During 'the Diet to Realize a Positive Cycle' that will go into session from next week, we will submit around 30 bills related to the Growth Strategy, exceeding the number submitted during the extraordinary Diet session, and show to the world how the Growth Strategy is being put into action.
Based on today's discussion, the 'Action Plan for Strengthening Industrial Competitiveness' will be approved by the Cabinet, which will clarify the implementation period and the minister in charge for each Growth Strategy-related measure. This Action Plan will be put into practice immediately through Cabinet-wide efforts.
There is no end to the Growth Strategy of the Abe administration. Therefore, the 'Review Guidelines' have been compiled today for revising the Growth Strategy in the middle of the year. I would like to carry out further structural reforms based on the following three perspectives.
First, I would like to develop a world-leading enabling environment for the workforce and companies. We will work towards fully unlocking the potential of women and reforming the work style of Japanese people. Furthermore, we will attract talent, goods, and money from around the world, and advance globalization within Japan.
Secondly, we will carry out reforms to turn medical and nursing care as well as agriculture into new engines for growth.  
Thirdly, we will work to ensure that the fruits of growth reach communities and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small-scale enterprises, and to build a new regional economic structure that will be sustainable in the age of a declining birthrate and aging population.   
With regard to the items for consideration which were presented in the 'Review Guidelines,' at tomorrow's meeting of the Headquarters for Japan's Economic Revitalization, I will instruct relevant Cabinet members to work towards giving shape to the policies for their realization.
From the standpoint of thinking about mid- to long-term reforms of the Japanese economy and society, I would like to ask the Industrial Competitiveness Council and the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy to set out common strategic challenges and work together in forming specific policies."