[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the first meeting in 2016 of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy at the Prime Minister's Office.

At the meeting, there was discussion on “the agenda of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy” and “the basic approach of ‘the positive cycle of growth and distribution’ and strengthening the supply side.”

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

“At meetings of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy during the first half of 2016, I would like to focus on discussing the three topics of achieving a 600 trillion yen economy, policy management for facilitating the increase of the consumption tax to 10%, and steady implementation of the Plan for Economic and Fiscal Revitalization, based on the policy presented by Minister Amari today.

In working to realize a society in which all one hundred million-plus citizens are each dynamically engaged, we must examine ways to secure suitable and stable financial resources under the mechanisms of the Plan for Economic and Fiscal Revitalization. In doing so, I would also like the Council to discuss its thoughts about the applications of the fruits of Abenomics. It is based on these discussions that we will create a clear policy, and incorporate it into the basic policies.

Today, the Council also discussed issues pertaining to the strengthening of the supply side. To increase the latent growth rate and realize the positive cycle of growth and distribution, I would like the Council to collaborate with other relevant councils and further crystallize policies, so I ask for your efforts to this end.”