[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the third meeting in FY2016 of the Forum for Consultations between the National and Regional Governments at the Prime Minister’s Office.

During the meeting, discussion took place on the budget request for FY2017 and regional fiscal measures, and vitalizing local economies and advancing decentralization reform.

Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said,

“This is the third meeting in FY2016 of the Forum for Consultations between the National and Regional Governments. I believe it is vital to utilize this Forum to advance important policy issues concerning the regions, while closely listening to the voices of the people of the regions.

In the process of formulating the FY2017 budget, we will take steady steps to achieve fiscal soundness, and at the same time, in order to fully utilize local strengths and resources, we will create a more focused budget, including taking the necessary budgetary measures for important policy issues, such as   measures for assisting with childcare and the growing needs of nursing care, looking toward a future in which all citizens are dynamically engaged. Also, the entire Abe Cabinet is resolved to work together on work style reform, another pillar of our structural reforms.

Concerning the issue of enhancing financial support for National Health Insurance as well, which was also raised at the recent National Governors’ Conference, I hope that you will be relieved to hear that the result of negotiations by relevant ministers sufficiently incorporates all of your opinions in such a way as to make it possible to smoothly manage the new system. I hope to continue to work on social security system reform, including National Health Insurance, while placing importance on the relationship of trust between the national government and regions. I request the continued support and cooperation of the six regional organizations on this matter.

With regard to vitalizing local economies, in order to raise the average income in local economies, we will continue to proactively support ambitious and enthusiastic local public bodies in terms of information, human resources, and finances. In addition, we will implement fundamental measures to mitigate the extreme concentration of the population in Tokyo, such as the promotion of regional universities. Furthermore, in regard to decentralization reform, we have received many proposals from the regions that will contribute to vitalizing local economies, support for children and child-rearing, and the realization of a society in which all citizens are dynamically engaged. We will continue to strongly and steadily promote such reforms.

Based on the thinking that ‘Japan will not have vitality unless its regions have vitality,’ and ‘there is no future for Japan unless we pave the way for the future of the regions,’ the Abe Cabinet will take the stance of closely listening to the opinions of the regions, and in doing so, we will fully accept the opinions received today and advance policies.”