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Fukuda Cabinet E-mail Magazine No.36 (June 19, 2008)
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"Sharing the standpoint of the people. This is Yasuo Fukuda."
-- Message from the Prime Minister (Provisional Translation)
Sharing the standpoint of the people. This is Yasuo Fukuda.
Yesterday, I visited the area severely stricken by the Iwate-Miyagi
Inland Earthquake.
I saw the aftermath of a landslide that cut a swath
through the landscape just as if the mountains had moved,
and a lake that formed where the earth and sand had dammed up
a river. I saw Komanoyu Onsen inn buried under a mudslide, a large
bridge that had collapsed, and roads blocked by the debris
of landslides. Witnessing the damage from the air brought home to
me once again the savage fury of this earthquake.
The Government swung into action immediately after the earthquake
struck, working in cooperation with the local authorities.
No efforts were spared, with absolute priority given to saving
lives. Even so, there have been 11 fatalities so far. It grieves me
deeply to think that we were unable to do anything to save any of
the 11 souls who perished. My thoughts are with the bereaved,
who have suffered such a harrowing loss, and my prayers are
with the departed.
There are still more than 10 people unaccounted for, and with five
days having passed since the earthquake struck, there must be
no time lost in rescuing them. I have given instructions
for the full mobilization of the police, the fire department,
the Self-Defense Forces, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism, and other organizations to carry out
a search in cooperation with the relevant prefectural and municipal
authorities.
In the stricken area, I visited evacuation centers in Ichinoseki
City, Iwate Prefecture, and Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture.
There I met with people who had suffered damage from the earthquake,
and listened to what they had to say.
"I can't sleep at night because of the aftershocks."
Their words revealed vividly the dreadful anxiety they feel
when the aftershocks occur one after another, awakening memories
of the initial earthquake.
Many people said, "I want to go back home." The floor
of the evacuation center is hard and uncomfortable. The mornings
are chilly but the daytime is hot and humid. Living under such
harsh conditions in the unfamiliar surroundings of the evacuation
center is taking a huge toll, both physical and mental,
on the evacuees.
The Government will join together with the prefectural and
municipal authorities to restore essential utilities and
residential roads as soon as possible, so that the victims
of the disaster are able to return to normal life without delay.
Last Friday, the Council for Promoting Consumer Policy compiled
their discussions into a report.
In line with the report and the commitment I made, I will establish
an Agency for Consumer Affairs. This will provide a single,
centralized point of contact for the consumers, rather than
the maze of uncoordinated, compartmentalized ministries
and agencies, so that the people will be able to enquire about
any problem they may have without feeling at a loss as to where to
go. I intend to create an organization in which top priority is
accorded to convenience and user-friendliness for the consumers.
Needless to say, I will ensure that the organization is
an efficient one. Moreover, where laws and jurisdiction have been
transferred from ministries, personnel and budgetary allocations
will be shifted away accordingly, so that the establishment
of the new agency will not result in bloated government.
I will also enhance the operations of the consumer centers, which
provide services to the people in respective local communities
and with which the people feel more familiar, from the perspective
of convenience and user-friendliness for each one of the consumers.
The Agency for Consumer Affairs will drive the complete shift
toward an administration that shares the standpoint of the people.
We are currently getting down to the various tasks in preparation
for the new agency's opening during the coming fiscal year.
The Diet is to deliberate the bills pertaining to the establishment
of the new agency. The path to its establishment is, at last, open
before us.
I am determined to make the very fullest efforts, with the people's
understanding and cooperation, to see to it that the new
organization will act in the best interests of the consumers.
* Profile of the Prime Minister
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<1ch> Prime Minister
- Prime Minister's Week in Review (June 1 to 8, 2008)
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<3ch> G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit
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[What's up around the Prime Minister]
- Global Warming Prevention Headquarters (Tuesday, June 17, 2008)
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General Editor | : | Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda |
Chief Editor | : | Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matushige Oono |
Publication | : | Cabinet Public Relations Office 1-6-1 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8968, Japan |