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On October 31, 2019, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the 1st meeting of the Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
At the meeting, there was an election of the Chairperson and the appointment of the Acting Chairperson, discussion of the rules of the procedure of the Council, and future proceedings.
 
During the meeting, the Prime Minister said,
 
“Today marks the start of a new Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform.
 
The world is currently changing at a rapid pace. Great waves of digitization are bringing sweeping and revolutionary changes throughout the world, to all corners of the socioeconomic system. It is said that the advent of AI and robotics will change the nature of human labor. The advancement of globalization has brought an age where global competition is unescapable in any field.
 
In this context, it is not acceptable for various regulations and systems to remain unchanged from the past. In all fields, whether it is business, finance, agriculture, telecommunications, broadcasting, education or healthcare, we must constantly take up the challenge to advance future-oriented reforms with bold visions and not be constrained by conventional thinking.
 
With this in mind, we have made the Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform, which had been consecutively installed with a fixed term, a permanent body. We would like all of you gathered here today to serve as the inaugural members.
 
Regulatory reform has been and will continue to be the centerpiece of the Abe Cabinet’s Growth Strategy.
 
I would like Chairperson Kobayashi, Acting Chairperson Takahashi, and all members of this Council to formulate bold reforms from the perspectives of innovation, global practices, and, most importantly, users. Thank you.”