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

Prime Minister Attends Meeting of Nation's Prefectural Governors Monday, December 1, 2003 The annual government-sponsored meeting of the nation's prefectural governors was held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in attendance. At the meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "We will firmly maintain the policy of 'leave to the localities what they can do' and change mind-set to leave matters to the discretion of the local communities." He also said, in regards to the "reform package of three issues" which reviews the modality of the Government and the local community, that he will aim for a subsidy reduction of one trillion yen in the first fiscal year of the reform, and again emphasized that reform of the local allocation tax and transfer of tax resources are to be carried out in trinity.