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On October 6, 2020, the Prime Minister held the 14th meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy in 2020 at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
At the meeting, the participants engaged in a discussion on the priority issues of the new Cabinet.
 
Following the discussion, the Prime Minister said,
 
“This is the first meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy under the Suga Cabinet. Protecting the people’s daily lives and reviving the economy, while implementing countermeasures against the novel coronavirus, are the top priorities of my Cabinet. We intend to strongly advance macroeconomic and financial policies and the reforms in which several ministries and agencies are involved, and bring the Japanese economy back to the robust recovery trajectory, using this Council as the control tower.
 
Today, we held a discussion on the reforms that the new Cabinet should tackle and how to deliver them.
 
First and foremost, we will streamline our countermeasures against the novel coronavirus and address the concerns among the public by disseminating knowledge of the virus. The Cabinet will work as one, under the leadership of Minister Nishimura.  
 
Next is regulatory reforms. The Cabinet will advance reforms under the leadership of respective ministers, getting rid of bureaucratic sectionalism, vested interests, and the notorious habit of following past precedents, while valuing common sense among the public. In addition, the Cabinet will resolutely work on such areas as the creation of a flow of people from urban areas to rural areas, reforms on corporate governance, the strengthening of competitiveness, and green growth, as well as advancing digitization in the public sector and making the sector more efficient, all of which were proposed by the private-sector members of this Council.
 
Upon formulating the budget, which will be in full swing soon, we intend to prioritize policy measures that boost demand in the private sector, succeeding the reform efforts of the previous administration and supporting new initiatives to be discussed at this Council. While doing so, we will closely monitor the economic conditions and implement the necessary measures without hesitating. I expect the Council of Economic and Fiscal Policy to closely monitor the economic situation and propose necessary reforms. My Cabinet will boldly implement those reforms, paving the way for the reform of the Japanese economy. I ask for your cooperation.”