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

Fourth Meeting of the Strategic Headquarters for Industrial Revival and Employment Measures Thursday, December 19, 2002 The fourth meeting of the Strategic Headquarters for Industrial Revival and Employment Measures was held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence and the "Basic Guidelines for Corporate and Industrial Revival" was adopted. These Basic Guidelines are composed of items such as responding to the issue of excessive debt, responding to the issue of excessive supply structures, assistance for the revival of small and medium enterprises and employment measures to assist in corporate and industrial revival. By ensuring coordination between the Industrial Revitalization Corporation (provisional name) to be established in the future and the Law on Special Measures for Industrial Revitalization, which was established to provide assistance concerning taxation aspects of restructuring corporate businesses, the Basic Guidelines aim to promote industrial rebirth. Furthermore, concerning purchases of debt by the Industrial Revitalization Corporation (provisional name), the reconstruction plans to be compiled by the eligible corporations will be limited to a period of less than three years, with the condition that when the plan concludes they will have reduced their debt to a certain scale. At the meeting, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi addressed the Cabinet Ministers concerned, stating, "These Basic Guidelines indicate the broad direction in which we should proceed in order to ensure the industrial revitalization of our nation. I call upon each of you to make efforts to ensure the prompt rebirth of the industrial areas within your respective portfolios."