Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda pledged Sept. 13 to come up with a new basic energy policy by next summer to reduce the nation's dependence on nuclear energy.
Noda, making his first policy speech, said: "It is unproductive to perceive energy policy as a confrontation between those who call for a move away from nuclear energy and those who promote nuclear energy."
He also indicated he would allow a resumption of operations at nuclear reactors that were shut down for periodic inspections as long as the safety of the reactors has been confirmed.
Noda also said an advisory panel, bringing together representatives of business, the bureaucracy and academia, would be in place by the end of the year to help compile a strategy for the revitalization of Japan as well as other key policy areas.
Noda said he would do his utmost to fulfill his responsibilities in addressing the problems facing the nation.
Japan, he said, faces two crises: the Great East Japan Earthquake and the global economic slowdown.
Noda also stressed the importance of maintaining fiscal discipline, citing costs incurred from the March 11 disaster which he said had driven the "crisis level for the nation's fiscal condition even higher."
Noda's address was to the extraordinary Diet session that convened Sept. 13 and will last only four days.
Opposition parties bristled at the shortness of the session. And in an unusual move, a vote had to be taken in the Lower House plenary session to settle the duration of the session.
Representatives of the opposition parties will be able to address questions at Noda and his Cabinet ministers over the next three days. But there will be no time for sessions of the Budget Committee that have traditionally been the main venue for Diet deliberations.
In his speech, Noda referred to the Sept. 10 resignation of Yoshio Hachiro as industry minister for making insensitive remarks about the crisis at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
"It is extremely regrettable that a Cabinet minister had to resign for inappropriate remarks that lacked consideration for the emotions of the disaster victims," the prime minister said. "In order to regain the trust that has been lost, the Cabinet will work as one to bring the nuclear accident to a conclusion as well as to provide assistance to the disaster victims."
Noda also referred to a lack of political leadership due to opposition intransigence toward his predecessor, Naoto Kan, which he said had plunged trust in the nation to a crisis level.
Soon after becoming prime minister, Noda said the most important issue facing his administration was rebuilding after the March 11 quake and tsunami.
He acknowledged criticism that the central government had been slow in constructing temporary housing for disaster victims and removing debris from disaster-stricken areas.
Noda said the government would come up with specific measures to deal with the disasters as well as push provisional compensation payments for victims of the Fukushima nuclear accident.
Regarding temporary tax hikes to pay for these measures, Noda said, "We will consider a variety of choices in terms of the type of tax, the period of the temporary hike and the amount of revenues (that will accrue) for each fiscal year."
Noda said the social security system had to be reformed into one that everybody considered fair.
He also called on the opposition parties to join in policy discussions related to the simultaneous reform of the social security and taxation systems.
Noda also made clear he had other priorities: reducing government expenditures, increasing tax revenues through greater economic activity and reforming government revenues by increasing the burden on taxpayers.
Regarding foreign affairs and national security, Noda said he would do his utmost to settle the issue of relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma as well as take measures to bring prosperity to Okinawa Prefecture, which hosts the majority of U.S. military bases in Japan.
Source: www.asahi.com
Noda, making his first policy speech, said: "It is unproductive to perceive energy policy as a confrontation between those who call for a move away from nuclear energy and those who promote nuclear energy."
He also indicated he would allow a resumption of operations at nuclear reactors that were shut down for periodic inspections as long as the safety of the reactors has been confirmed.
Noda also said an advisory panel, bringing together representatives of business, the bureaucracy and academia, would be in place by the end of the year to help compile a strategy for the revitalization of Japan as well as other key policy areas.
Noda said he would do his utmost to fulfill his responsibilities in addressing the problems facing the nation.
Japan, he said, faces two crises: the Great East Japan Earthquake and the global economic slowdown.
Noda also stressed the importance of maintaining fiscal discipline, citing costs incurred from the March 11 disaster which he said had driven the "crisis level for the nation's fiscal condition even higher."
Noda's address was to the extraordinary Diet session that convened Sept. 13 and will last only four days.
Opposition parties bristled at the shortness of the session. And in an unusual move, a vote had to be taken in the Lower House plenary session to settle the duration of the session.
Representatives of the opposition parties will be able to address questions at Noda and his Cabinet ministers over the next three days. But there will be no time for sessions of the Budget Committee that have traditionally been the main venue for Diet deliberations.
In his speech, Noda referred to the Sept. 10 resignation of Yoshio Hachiro as industry minister for making insensitive remarks about the crisis at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
"It is extremely regrettable that a Cabinet minister had to resign for inappropriate remarks that lacked consideration for the emotions of the disaster victims," the prime minister said. "In order to regain the trust that has been lost, the Cabinet will work as one to bring the nuclear accident to a conclusion as well as to provide assistance to the disaster victims."
Noda also referred to a lack of political leadership due to opposition intransigence toward his predecessor, Naoto Kan, which he said had plunged trust in the nation to a crisis level.
Soon after becoming prime minister, Noda said the most important issue facing his administration was rebuilding after the March 11 quake and tsunami.
He acknowledged criticism that the central government had been slow in constructing temporary housing for disaster victims and removing debris from disaster-stricken areas.
Noda said the government would come up with specific measures to deal with the disasters as well as push provisional compensation payments for victims of the Fukushima nuclear accident.
Regarding temporary tax hikes to pay for these measures, Noda said, "We will consider a variety of choices in terms of the type of tax, the period of the temporary hike and the amount of revenues (that will accrue) for each fiscal year."
Noda said the social security system had to be reformed into one that everybody considered fair.
He also called on the opposition parties to join in policy discussions related to the simultaneous reform of the social security and taxation systems.
Noda also made clear he had other priorities: reducing government expenditures, increasing tax revenues through greater economic activity and reforming government revenues by increasing the burden on taxpayers.
Regarding foreign affairs and national security, Noda said he would do his utmost to settle the issue of relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma as well as take measures to bring prosperity to Okinawa Prefecture, which hosts the majority of U.S. military bases in Japan.
Source: www.asahi.com
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