• 
• 

 
On December 17, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the third meeting in FY2018 of the Forum for Consultations between the National and Local Governments, held at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
At the meeting, discussion took place on the formation of the FY2019 budget and local finance measures.
 
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,
 
“Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this meeting today.
We intend to proceed with the formulation of the FY2019 budget and local finance measures based on today’s discussion.
 
This year, large-sale natural disasters struck Japan one after another throughout its regions. We will accelerate disaster recover with the supplementary budget of approximately 900 billion yen that was recently passed in the Diet.
 
Furthermore, we have compiled three-year emergency response measures on a scale of 7 trillion yen in order to build resilient hometowns in which everyone can live with peace of mind, based on the results of a nation-wide inspection of infrastructure. Among these measures, we will immediately work on those measures that need to be implemented as part of the first fiscal year of this plan, using the second supplementary budget.
 
When formulating the budget for next fiscal year, we will thoroughly include measures to sustain the recovery trend of the economy and, in addition, create a new growth trajectory.
 
Among those measures, in regard to the consumption tax increase in October next year, we will introduce tuition-free early childhood education and firmly invest together with local governments in our children, who will represent the future, while incorporating a full set of countermeasures. I would like to ask for your understanding and cooperation in each of our policy measures.
 
Japan will not have vitality unless its regions do as well. The Abe administration’s efforts towards regional revitalization are entering the fifth year. The Regional Vitalization Cooperation Volunteers initiative has grown into a massive project in which over 5,000 volunteers work in various communities, an increase of over 10 times since the change in government. 60% of the volunteers have settled down in their communities after the end of their terms. I would like this trend to expand throughout Japan. In addition to expanding the Cooperation Volunteers, we will create an environment where young people feel there is opportunity in Japan’s local communities by supporting businesses launched by young people making U-turns (from one’s hometown in a local district to a city and back), I-turns (from one’s hometown in a local district to a different local district) and J-turns (from one’s hometown in a local district to a nearby city), that is to say truly local start-ups.
 
The Government will listen carefully to the voices of the local communities and firmly promote policies to revitalize the regions. Thank you very much.”