Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

JAPANESE

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have one item to report. Following up on the release of the "Handbook on the Reconstruction of Livelihood in Disaster-Affected Areas" that explained the content of the supplementary budget in an easy-to-understand manner as of the middle of May, the Government has now released the "Updated Handbook on Livelihood Support," which contains new and additional information on a variety of subjects like taxes and health as we move toward the summer. This time, the handbook contains a code on each page which the visually impaired can scan with their cell phones or "raku raku" easy phones to have their devices read out the handbook's text. It is something new we are trying this time. We hope that this handbook, together with the "Handbook on the Reconstruction of Livelihood in Disaster-Affected Areas" released in May, will alleviate each of the many of the concerns felt by those affected by the disaster. For further details, please inquire at the Cabinet Secretariat, Cabinet Public Relations Office.

Q&As

REPORTER: The Basic Act on Reconstruction has now passed through the Diet. I think the Government has faced strong criticism that compared to the time of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the establishment of systems and enactment of legislature related to reconstruction has taken a long time. I would like to ask what the reason for the delay was. For example, do you think anything went wrong in some way, thereby causing this delay? Were any problems caused by these delays? Or do you think that there weren't any problems in particular at all?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: If we are comparing the two, I think that there is no doubt it was an objectively slower process this time. However, if I discussed the reasons for this I believe it would just sound like I was making excuses, so I shall refrain from doing so. I don't think that any problems have occurred within the overall process due to these delays. Concerning issues of recovery, although there is the problem that we have not responded to the requests of those affected by this disaster with enough haste, I do not believe that this was directly affected by the process to pass the Basic Act on Reconstruction.

REPORTER: Related to that, I would like to know about the exact schedules planned for the establishment of reconstruction headquarters, the naming of a minister of reconstruction and the creation of a reconstruction agency, as outlined in the Basic Act on Reconstruction.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: First, we must finish procedures for the promulgation of the Act, including the work on related cabinet orders. I believe that this may take a few days or so. Based on that work, I want to begin work in line with the Act as soon as possible. There are, for example, issues such as the establishment of special reconstruction zones that cannot wait for the promulgation of the Act. We have been discussing these and already begun preparations to create a secretariat-structure that can handle these issues. Regardless of when the official, exact date for the promulgation of the Act is, we want to steadily proceed with work.

REPORTER: Concerning the naming of a minister of reconstruction, while I heard that this will happen quickly after the Act enters into force, I would like to know what your concrete goal is regarding scheduling for this.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Since we are talking about an issue that is ultimately a matter of personnel, it should be left up to the discretion of the Prime Minister. As for related cabinet orders and ministerial ordinances, and the creation of a secretariat for this, I think it will take a few days. I am reporting on this to the Prime Minister, and I believe that he will watch how the situation develops and make a decision.

REPORTER: I also have a question about the minister of reconstruction. During a question and answer session while deliberating on the Act at a committee in the House of Representatives, it was announced by a certain Diet member that it was preferable that reconstruction issues be the sole responsibilities of the minister they are assigned to. Does the Government also feel this way?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I agree that it is preferable, but we already have so many Minister of State positions for issues outside of reconstruction, and the current system allows for only 17 ministers. I believe that the Prime Minister will make the final decision on this.

(Abridged)