• 
• 
• 
• 

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the fifth meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, and the third joint meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy and the Industrial Competitiveness Council of 2014, at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the joint meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy and the Industrial Competitiveness Council, discussion took place on "strategic challenges relating to industry structure adjustments" and "strategic challenges relating to the social security system and health industry." During the meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy that followed, discussion took place on "realizing a positive cycle of the economy."

Based on the discussion during the joint meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy and the Industrial Competitiveness Council, the Prime Minister said in his address,

"To realize sustainable growth, a drastic improvement in productivity is essential. Key to this are the vitalization of entrepreneurship; the restructuring of industries; the creation of innovation; and the provision of funding for high-risk, high-return investment to support these efforts.
Therefore, based on the proposals made today, I would like to ask relevant ministers to work together to compile proposals for 'one-stop procedures for starting and establishing businesses,' 'supporting venture companies through favorable treatment in the government procurement process, etc.,' 'developing the details of a new system that will tie innovation to the enhancement of Japan’s competitiveness,' and 'measures for utilizing the vast supply of private sector funds as mid- to long-term growth funds.'
To both meet the health and longevity needs of the people, and also achieve the sustainability of social security, it is imperative that we work to streamline and improve the efficiency of public insurance services and energize non-insurance services.   
To that end, based on today’s proposals, I would like to ask relevant ministers to work together to compile proposals for 'giving shape to a scheme for encouraging efforts to improve the balance of payment for the insured and for encouraging prevention by individuals and health promotion activities,' 'measures for realizing a new corporation system for the provision of medical and nursing care services in an efficient and comprehensive manner, including spinning off university hospitals into a separate corporation,' and 'institutional reforms for drastically changing the mechanisms of the system of mixed medical care services, which offer combinations of treatments covered and not covered by public insurance, to enable the prompt use of unapproved pharmaceuticals, etc., by patients battling severe illnesses.'
With regard to further streamlining and improving the efficiency of social security benefits, I would like to ask that at the next meeting the Council carries out more thorough discussion on this matter, including the further adoption of ICT for the management of medical and nursing care information."

Later, based on the discussion during the meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, the Prime Minister said in his address,

"Today, we received reports on the situation of the spring wage offensive from Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO). I get the sense that along with the initiatives of the Abe Cabinet to date, the winds of wage hikes have begun to blow for companies ranging from large enterprises to small- and medium-sized enterprises. I would like to thank employers and employees for their efforts to increase wages. 
To ensure that the winds of wage hikes reach all companies throughout the country, I strongly hope that efforts to increase wages continue to gain momentum and spread to all companies, regardless of their size and type of employment, including companies that are currently carrying out employer-employee negotiations.
Furthermore, to exit deflation and revitalize the economy in Japan, we must establish wage increases and realize a positive cycle of the economy in a sustainable manner. I look forward to the continued efforts of employers and employees to maintain the momentum of the wage increases and establish this as a major trend. The Government will also make every effort to create the necessary environment to facilitate these efforts."