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Headquarters for Promoting Decentralization Reform Tuesday, August 5, 2008 JAPANESE

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda held the 5th meeting of the Headquarters for Promoting Decentralization Reform, composed of all Cabinet members, at the Prime Minister's Office. At the meeting, Mr. Uichiro Niwa, Chair of the Decentralization Reform Committee, explained the Committee's report, entitled, "Mid-term Report on the Review of the Local Offices of the Central Government." The report fleshes out the approach of reallocating the work and authority of the local offices of the central government, as outlined in the 1st round of advice, and clarifies the direction in which the review of the organization of the central government's local offices should proceed. Prime Minister Fukuda said, "The mission of this Cabinet is to strongly promote the people-oriented political and administrative reforms and realize policies that lead to perceptible improvements in the living conditions of the people. In this light as well, a top priority issue for the Cabinet is decentralization reform, as it will set out the structure that will enable local governments to consider what needs to be done closer to the people and take actions accordingly in a responsible manner. I would like to ask each ministry and agency to continue active cooperation with studies and deliberations by the Committee, and also to further advance their deliberations, based on the midterm report, toward the fundamental reform of the local offices of the central government that is to take place from the viewpoint of realizing a simple yet efficient administration. I ask each Minister to demonstrate political leadership and take a lead in advancing reform, without being constrained by the interests of the bureaucracy."