Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda attended the first Council on Administrative Reform held at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address, "Full-fledged discussion on the comprehensive reform of social security and taxation systems will finally start from tomorrow. We will thoroughly explain the issue and make every effort to obtain broad support. I would like to make a constructive discussion precisely for the nation and the people.
Another issue as important as the comprehensive reform of social security and taxation systems is the administrative reform. Needless to say, we have been working hard on administrative reform, with the Government Revitalization Unit taking the lead, since the start of the administrations led by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). However, I believe that the voices of the people are calling for further reform that puts us on the line. I would like to achieve results by securely taking in such voices of people.
All the participants here today have deep insights and abundant experiences. I would like to ask for frank and active discussions on specific issues including the modality and principles of administrative reform, and the issue of the reduction of the total personnel cost related to national civil servants, together with Deputy Prime Minister Okada, with a broader perspective."