Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� April, 2002

Prime Minister Addresses New National Public Employees Tuesday, April 2, 2002 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi addressed the ceremony inaugurating joint training for new national public employees, held in the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center, Yoyogi, Tokyo. Prime Minister Koizumi urged the new employees to "never forget the commitment you have made in stepping forward to serve the entire nation and choosing it as your occupation." The Prime Minister also stated, "as the members of an organization, although you may have differences of opinion, it is important to achieve harmony amongst yourselves and strive to realize the public interest. At the same time, do not follow others without much thought. Instead, please constantly think for yourself about what you should do as a servant of the greater good of all. Many people criticize civil servants for placing their respective ministries and agencies above the needs of the nation, and you should remember that it is up to the actions of each and every one of you to overcome the harmful effects of old-fashioned customs in the Kasumigaseki area where most of the Government offices are located. Indeed, it is up to you to inject our government administration with new vitality."