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The Prime Minister in Action
Intensive Hearings on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Real Economy
March 19, 2020
Photograph of the Prime Minister making a statement (1)
Photograph of the Prime Minister making a statement (2)
Photograph of the Prime Minister making a statement (3)
Photograph of the Prime Minister making a statement (4)
Photograph of the Prime Minister making a statement (5)
[Provisional Translation]
On March 19, 2020, the Prime Minster attended the first Intensive Hearing on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Real Economy at the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,
“Thank you very much for coming to the Prime Minister’s Office today despite your busy schedules.
Currently, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is severely affecting the economy, including inbound tourism. We have also requested that organizers cancel, postpone or refrain from holding nation-wide events. We also requested elementary schools, junior high schools and senior high schools as well as schools for special needs education to close.
We are fully aware that, amidst such a situation, business operators are being adversely affected and the public is forced to bear heavy burdens in their daily lives and work.
In light of this, today we have invited representatives of individuals working as freelancers, individual business owners, families where both of the parents have jobs and raise their children, and single parents devoting themselves to raising their children, as well as students who are seeking jobs—I understand how that is challenging. I believe that we must protect employment, no matter what.
To that end, we intend to extend thorough support so as to maintain the circumstance where individual business owners or those who work as a freelancer can continue their businesses. In addition, at this stage, we are exerting every effort to prevent symptoms from becoming severe and control outbreaks as preventive measures against the spread of infections.
After this phase, we intend to carry out a variety of measures to ensure the firm recovery of the Japanese economy. As we develop such policy measures, we would like to hear your frank and candid views regarding what kinds of difficulties you are facing and what kinds of policies you are expecting us to undertake.
We will formulate these policy measures while listening to the voices of those on the frontlines and understanding the actual situation. I therefore ask you to provide your candid views.
Hereafter, I would like to ask for your comments.”
