Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

JAPANESE

Q&As

REPORTER: Just a while ago the second supplementary budget passed in the Diet. Please tell us your assessment of this. Also, this morning Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku told a group of reporters something to the effect of "It is about time for the Prime Minister to make a decision and express it by taking action." When do you think the Prime Minister will resign?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: There were various opinions expressed in the Diet, but in response to this unprecedented disaster, as new issues really appeared everyday that we had to respond to, it became clear after the first supplementary budget that an additional budget would be necessary, and now we have passed a second supplementary budget as an amount of funds thought to be necessary until we will need a third. The Government intends to fully utilize this second supplementary budget, while humbly accepting the fact that, for the affected persons and disaster victims, there are many areas where the Government's response is still inadequate. I also intend to exert further efforts to ensuring that the funding is utilized by the prefectural and municipal governments so that restoration undertakings advance as expeditiously as possible. Regarding your last question, and I don't know if this will answer it, but first I believe that we must establish a timeframe for the special government bonds in particular.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: At the meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Councillors this morning, Prime Minister Kan stated that if he has the opportunity he would like to meet with the Governor of Saga Prefecture and the Mayor of Genkai and directly apologize about the arrangements for the restart of operations at Kyushu Electric Power Company's Genkai Nuclear Power Station. Have any arrangements or orders been made for making such an apology?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: No orders have been made regarding a concrete schedule or anything as of yet.