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On September 6, 2021, the Prime Minister held the first meeting of the Digital Society Promotion Council at the Prime Minister’s Office.

At the meeting, the participants engaged in discussions on a new promotion structure and course of action toward digital transformation going forward.

Following the discussion, the Prime Minister said,
 
 “Today, we held the first meeting of the Digital Society Promotion Council since the launch of the Digital Agency and discussed a new priority plan as an overall strategy.
 
With the vision that we cannot change Japan without bold digitalization, we established the Digital Agency on September 1. We will thoroughly implement digital transformation of the entire society under the leadership of the agency.
 
The first is digitalization of administrative services. We will create a society where with just one smartphone, people can complete all sorts of procedures online, including those for moving, without visiting government offices and receive benefits from the Government without filing an application. To this end, we will proceed with the integration and standardization of different systems of local governments, the promotion of My Number Cards, among other measures.
 
The second is digitalization of people’s life. This will increase the convenience in their daily life, including online medical consultations, and enable people in rural areas to live in the same manner as those in urban areas. We will digitalize healthcare, education, disaster prevention, payments, among others, as well as review systems.
 
The third is digitalization of industries. We will widely share basic data held by public institutions and take other steps to help launch new businesses so as to create employment and generate investments.
 
The last is the response to digital divide. Under the banner of leaving no one behind, we will implement measures, including providing support for those with disabilities and the elderly. I ask the relevant ministers to formulate a new priority plan by the end of the year and steadily achieve results, without falling prey to sectionalism.”