Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� November, 2003

Report by the Local Government System Research Council Thursday, November 13, 2003 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi received the "Report on the Modality of the Local Administration in the Future" from Mr. Ken Moroi, the Chair of the Local Government System Research Council at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. This report was decided at the general meeting of the Local Government System Research Council held on November 13, and includes measures for the promotion of mergers of municipals after the expiration of the Laws on Special Cases of Municipal Mergers at the end of March, 2005. The report centers on promoting municipal mergers, intensively small-scale municipals with population of "less than approximately 10,000 people," under the leadership of the prefectures. Furthermore, from the perspective of creating a highly independent area suitable for the decentralized-type society, the report also points out the necessity in considering the introduction of a "Do-Shu system" and suggests that further discussions will be made at the next research council.