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[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the fifteenth meeting of the Emergency Response Headquarters for the Earthquake Centered in the Kumamoto Region of Kumamoto Prefecture 2016 at the Prime Minister’s Office.

At the meeting, reports and discussions were held on the situation pertaining to damage and the response of each ministry and agency.
Based on the reports and discussion in the meeting, the Prime Minister said,

“Yesterday, I saw the state of the affected areas in Kumamoto with my own eyes, and I heard the voices of the people affected by this disaster directly.

In addition to the tremendous damage done, many people are now living for a protracted period of time in evacuation centers. I again felt their reality – the fact that they have been placed in mentally and physically difficult conditions.

Since the onset of the disaster, we have exerted every effort for matters such as the transport of needed goods like food and water.

The U.S. Forces in Japan as well have offered much support in the form of transport using Osprey aircraft. As we have greatly bolstered the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) conducting activities in the affected areas, the support from the U.S. Forces will end today. As the representative of Japan, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the friendship exhibited by the United States.

The Kyushu Shinkansen operating between Hakata and Kumamoto started service again yesterday. We are making progress little by little on the repair of lifestyle infrastructure, including the restoration of power.

That said, in the areas affected by the disaster, people are still being forced to endure restricted lifestyles. Yesterday, cases of norovirus were confirmed at an evacuation center. Please work hard to strengthen hygiene management and restore water services as soon as possible. The people affected by this disaster are full of anxiety. I want you to further accelerate lifestyle support for them.

After that, we will need to rebuild the lives of the people affected by this disaster and reconstruct industries such as the agriculture, forestry, and fishery industries and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). There is much to be done moving forward.

First, please swiftly advance procedures so that we can issue a Cabinet Decision declaring this a ‘Disaster of Extreme Severity’ (*) within tomorrow.

Furthermore, while maintaining sympathy for the anxious feelings of the people affected by the disaster, we must take the initiative and offer even more agile responses.

To that end, we will formulate a FY2016 supplementary budget.

The supplementary budget will include expenses needed to support people affected by the disaster, including allowances to secure housing and for a fund to support the rebuilding of lifestyles. It will also establish a ‘Kumamoto Earthquake Recovery Emergency Fund.’ I want to undertake more than enough preparation to ensure that we can swiftly advance the rebuilding of the businesses of those affected by the disaster, the recovery of infrastructure such as roads and facilities, and the removal of debris.

We will use the new supplementary budget, together with the emergency funds included in the initial budget for FY2016, and the budget for disaster recovery, to provide all-out measures for recovery.

I would like Minister of Finance Aso to start coordination with the relevant ministers to ensure that we can quickly submit the supplementary budget to the Diet. I expect the Diet to establish the budget during the current session.

A moment ago, I gave those instructions to Minister of Finance Aso.

The Abe Cabinet will do everything possible on this issue until the day when the people of Kumamoto smile as they did before the disaster, when they are able to live with peace of mind, and when we have succeeded with reconstruction. I request that the Government focus its efforts with that conviction in mind as we work for recovery and reconstruction.”

*A disaster that is recognized as having a significant impact on the national economy and which requires the implementation of special subsidy measures to alleviate the burden caused by the disaster on local finances and on persons affected. Once a disaster has received this designation, special financial subsidy measures are put in place, including the raising of national subsidies for disaster reconstruction projects to be implemented by local public bodies and special guarantees for small- and medium-sized enterprises.