• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

 
 
On June 1, 2020, the Prime Minister attended a Liaison Meeting of the Government and Ruling Parties at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

“Last week, we finally lifted the state of emergency nationwide. This Liaison Meeting of the Government and Ruling Parties is also being convened for the first time in three months.

In Japan, we did not enforce compulsory measures with applied penalties, as has been the case in Europe and the United States. Instead, citizens made great efforts for reducing people-to-people contact by 80%, among other measures. As a result, the number of new infections is on a declining trend, and we have been able to keep Japan’s number of infections and deaths per capita very low, even when compared to other major developed countries. Once again, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to all citizens for their cooperation.

We are now beginning a new normal for everyday life as we gradually restore regular socio-economic activities in a phased approach. We will build a new normal for everyday life together with the citizens, and through the concerted efforts of the ruling parties. Meanwhile, it will take quite some time to completely restore our everyday lives while holding down the number of infections. Along this steep path ahead, we must protect businesses and employment by any means possible.

At the same time, making the best use of the opportunity presented by the epidemiological situation settling down, we must make all possible preparations against the possibility of a subsequent wave of infections. With this resolve, we firmly took into account the ruling parties’ proposals and last week decided on the second supplementary budget.

This includes measures such as reducing the burden of fixed costs on business operators, such as personnel costs and rent, providing liquidity support totaling 140 trillion yen, and enhancing the medical and screening structures. Together with the previous supplementary budget and other measures, the scale of the program will exceed 230 trillion yen and reaches 40% of gross domestic product (GDP), making it the largest in the world.

Above all, we must ensure that these measures reach those who are facing difficult situations as soon as possible. We will fast-track the relevant work and submit the budget with the relevant bills to the Diet early next week. I ask for the cooperation of the ruling parties towards its early enactment, as the Government exerts every effort to deliver explanations sincerely and thoroughly.

Just around two weeks remain until the end of the ordinary session of the Diet. While the Government prioritizes infection control the most, we will continue to seriously engage with the deliberations and strive to provide thorough explanations, both for the budget and the bills. I ask for your continued cooperation.”