Japanese PM Vows to Make Reform Efforts for Long-Term GrowthJapanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Thursday, December 7, pledged to take steps such as deregulation, public works reforms and development in the science and technology sector in a bid to realize long-term growth of the Japanese economy."I plan to achieve my most important policy goal, which is to implement drastic reforms of the nation's economy," Mori told a forum on Japan's future held in Tokyo. "Measures to strengthen supply capacity, such as the improvement of technological development and human capabilities, as well as systematic reforms to business practices ... are necessary," Mori said. By taking such steps, Mori said, "I believe we can work toward promoting structural reforms while realizing long-term economic growth." The open forum was attended by experts from Japan, the United States, Britain, China's Hong Kong and Thailand. Mori also said dramatic advances in the development of information technology (IT) also hold the key to Japan's future. "In the course of developing into an IT society, Japan fell behind advanced countries such as the U.S. and those in Europe and Asia,"Mori said, adding that he will "try to spark an IT revolution." Last month, Japan's Diet (parliament) enacted a law that commits the government to easing restrictions on promoting e-commerce,developing top-class IT networks and working toward establishing paperless "electronic central and local governments." The specifics for implementing the commitments will be incorporated into the IT Basic Law in the next regular Diet session, which is to be convened in January. "The development of an advanced online network and the spread of IT in the nation's economy and society will ... boost Japan's potential growth," Mori said. |
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