Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the sixth meeting of the Council on National Strategic Special Zones at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, debate took place on “the holding of special zone meetings” and “additional regulatory reforms,” after which the Prime Minister said,
　
“The Abe administration’s National Strategic Zones project is finally about to get underway. Of the six special zones, we will begin with the Kansai area and Fukuoka City, and the national government, local governments, and the private sector will work as one to formulate and present the first set of specific draft project plans. 

Furthermore, thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, additional regulatory reforms that were proposed at the previous Council meeting, such as ‘the establishment of one-stop centers for starting businesses’ and ‘the acceptance of foreigner workers as domestic helpers or entrepreneurs,’ have been incorporated into the growth strategy in the space of only one month. I would like to express my gratitude to you all once again.

This is a perfect example of the swift approach to regulatory reform the Abe administration is taking. Among the reforms discussed today, we will implement those reforms that do not require revisions to legislation by the end of this year at the latest. With regard to reforms that do require revisions to legislation, we will look to submit related bills during the next session of the Diet. Furthermore, we will further broaden the scope of our considerations, and I will continue to operate the drill of reform at ever greater speeds. I would like to ask you all for your continued cooperation.”