Finance Minister Taro Aso on Monday pledged to put Japan on a path of sustainable growth driven by the private sector by increasing productivity and revitalizing the world's third-largest economy even as its population rapidly grays.
In a speech at the Diet's first session of 2020, Aso also underscored the importance of ensuring fiscal health so the government can build a social security system that will benefit all generations.
In addition, he vowed to redouble efforts to achieve a primary balance surplus by fiscal 2025 and improve the government's debt-to-gross domestic product ratio, which is the worst among advanced countries.