Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Consumer Committee

Prime Minister Taro Aso attended the 1st meeting of the Consumer Committee, a third-party organization to oversee the Consumer Affairs Agency established on September 1, 2009.

At the meeting, the members of the Committee conducted a mutual vote and Mr. Tsuneo Matsumoto, Dean of the Law School of Hitotsubashi University, was elected as the first Chair of the Committee.

In the opening address, Prime Minister Aso said, "An administration that takes the standpoint of the consumers takes its first step today. The Consumer Affairs Agency and the Consumer Committee shall be administrative organizations with a completely new principle, sharing the standpoint of users and consumers and making their benefits come first. The consumers place a very strong expectation on the Agency and the Committee. I want each of you to listen to the voices of the consumers fully and oversee the overall consumer policy so as to realize a safe society in which the consumers live their lives with peace of mind."