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On October 1, 2019, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the Liaison Meeting of the Government and Ruling Parties at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,
 
“Today, we are holding the first liaison meeting of the new leadership teams of the Government, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Komeito. Under the strong solidarity of the Government and ruling parties, we would like to fulfill the mandates given to us by the public by tackling the challenge of implementing bold policies that are not constrained by conventional thinking, and delivering tangible results. I ask for your continued support and cooperation to that end.
 
Typhoon No. 15, which made landfall last month, caused severe damages particularly in Chiba Prefecture, including damaging many homes as well as widespread and prolonged power and water outages. Once again, I would like to express my sympathies to everyone who has been affected by this disaster. The Government will designate the disasters caused by the heavy rains from August to September this year, including the recent disaster caused by Typhoon No. 15, as “Disasters of Extreme Severity.” In addition, with respect to the responses to damages to homes and other properties, including those to roof tiles, which show significant damages, we intend to put our utmost efforts into finding a way somehow and extending supports collaborating with local governments. We will continue to work as one with the local governments affected by the disasters, and to exert every effort for the recovery and reconstruction of the affected areas, so that those who are in the affected area can return to their lives with peace of mind as soon as possible. Furthermore, as Typhoon No. 18 is approaching Japan, I also ask that you maintain the necessary level of vigilance and take all possible measures related to disaster management.
 
On October 22, the Sokuirei-Seiden-no-gi (Ceremony of the Enthronement of His Majesty the Emperor at the Seiden [State Hall]) to proclaim the enthronement to those at home and abroad will be held. Representatives from more than 190 countries and international organizations are expected to visit Japan to attend this ceremony, a larger number than the Heisei era. In addition to making all the necessary preparations to receive our guests from countries around the world, the Government will make every effort to ensure that the ceremony proceeds smoothly and with dignity, working as one.
 
At the Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting held last week, the two countries reached a final agreement on the Japan-U.S. Trade Agreement and the Japan-U.S. Digital Trade Agreement. These agreements, which make up 30% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP), not only contribute to the further growth of the Japanese economy, but also contribute greatly to the development of a global economy based on free and fair rules. We will be moving forward on the domestic procedures in the upcoming extraordinary session of the Diet. In line with the Japan-U.S. Joint Statement issued in September last year, we reached a win-win conclusion for both countries. We intend to respond thoroughly to the concerns that persist despite the reaching of the agreements, with the Government and the ruling parties working as one, and harness these agreements to revitalize the local economies through strengthening supports such as solidifying the foundations of the livelihoods of farmers and assisting overseas expansion of micro, small, and medium-size enterprises.
 
From today, the consumption tax borne by the people has been raised to 10%, and at the same time, early childhood education and childcare has become free of charge. Furthermore, we will make higher education for those children truly in need free of charge from April next year. This increase in consumption tax marks a significant first step towards the social security reform to one that is oriented to all generations and brings peace of mind to all generations. Going forward, while listening to the views of the ruling parties, we aim to build a social security system that can bring peace of mind to everyone by advancing reforms to the entire spectrum of social security, including pension, healthcare, and nursing care. In addition to taking all possible measures to ensure the smooth application of the reduced tax rate, the Government will sustain consumption and maintain the recovery trend of our economy by working as one and steadily implementing the more-than-adequate measures that we have proposed until today.
 
The extraordinary session of the Diet will be held this week. We will steadily implement the policies that we have promised, in order to fulfill the strong mandate that we received from the people of Japan in the recent House of Councillors elections. To that end, we will respond fully in this new team with a sense of urgency. I would like to ask the ruling parties for your cooperation.”