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22nd Meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy in 2006
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. As the first meeting held after the inauguration of the Abe Cabinet, it was attended by the new Cabinet members as well as the four newly-appointed private sector experts; Mr. Takatoshi Ito, Mr. Uichiro Niwa, Mr. Fujio Mitarai, and Mr. Naohiro Yashiro. At the start of the meeting, Prime Minister Abe said, "There can be no fiscal consolidation or future for Japan without growth. For the sake of our initiative to build a beautiful and new country, I would like the members of the council to make concrete proposals from the perspective of economic and fiscal policy and thereby become the main engine for reform and growth." Thereafter at the meeting, the members, upon agreeing that growth is the foundation for all reform programs, discussed the council's operational policy for growth strategies as well as issues to deliberate at the council. The private sector experts made a proposal entitled "Toward Creation and Growth," which identifies seven issues such as the enhancement of production and the improvement of efficiency in the labor market through innovation. The members agreed to deliberate exclusively on the decentralization reform and other issues starting from the next meeting. At the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Abe said, "There are voices claiming that it is better to take a break in the structural reforms because we have accomplished some results from the structural programs. However, it is critical to design growth strategies, continue the reforms, and demonstrate such efforts at home and abroad. It is our responsibility to make the utmost efforts to advance all reform programs."
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