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

Seventh Meeting of the Special Public Institutions Reform Promotion Headquarters Tuesday, December 17, 2002 (Photograph by Kyodo News) The seventh meeting of the Special Public Institutions Reform Promotion Headquarters was held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. At the meeting, the "Reform of the Four Highway-related Public Corporations, International Hub Airports and Policy-based Finance Institutions," which outlines the policy for reform of special public institutions, was adopted. Regarding the four highway-related public institutions, the report says the Government should implement specific measures for reform, basically respecting the opinion submitted on December 6 to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi by the Promotion Committee for the Privatization of the Four Highway-related Public Corporations while consulting the ruling party when necessary. Furthermore, this policy also included airport reform and reform of policy-based finance institutions. Concerning airport reform, privatization of international hub airports such as New Tokyo International Airport (Narita Airport) will be advanced on an individual basis and in regard to reform of policy-based finance institutions, further consideration will be given to the reorganization of governmental financial institutions while carefully observing the economic situation. Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi stated, "Although progress is steadily being made in the reform of special public institutions, we have now entered the phase when real results must be produced." This policy was adopted at the Cabinet Meeting following the meeting.