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On October 10, 2019, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the eighth meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy in 2019 at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
At the meeting, a discussion was held on the assessment of domestic and foreign risks and expansion of the virtuous economic cycle, as well as the promotion of next-generation administrative services.
 
Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said,
 
“Today, we first discussed the assessment of domestic and foreign risks and the virtuous economic cycle. We must ensure the virtuous cycle of our economy, while also paying close attention to the developments in the global economy, where there is growing uncertainty. In any event that downward risks were to become tangible, the Government will take all possible measures flexibly, without being hesitant, to sustain the growth path for our economy.
 
When doing so, it is essential to take into account the timeframe and implement measures in a timely manner, fully paying attention to macroeconomic situations, as the expert members proposed today. We also need to put emphasis on ‘wise spending’ to utilize finite government resources effectively. I ask Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Nishimura to exert every effort for macroeconomic management, in preparation for any risks that may become tangible.
 
We also discussed the promotion of next-generation administrative services. There is no arguing against the fact that the development of a digital government both in national and local governments is an important and urgent issue for the future of Japan. In particular, with respect to local governments, the fundamental and disruptive acceleration and strengthening of local governments efforts, including the supports from the national government, are necessary. I ask the Chief Cabinet Secretary to incorporate the reform roadmap, which will be compiled by this Council by the end of this year, into the new Digital Government Action Plan, collaborating with the relevant ministers, including the Minister in charge of Information Technology Policy and the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communication.”