KYOTO — The government has done all it can to bring the nation out of its economic slump and now everyone else has to pitch in, Yasuo Shingu, chairman of the Kansai Economic Federation, said Thursday.
In a keynote speech before some 330 business leaders at the 37th Kansai Zaikai (business circle) Seminar here, Shingu said that what is required now to wipe out the anxiety that people have toward the future is a grand design for the nation in the 21st century and concrete methods to achieve such a plan.
Every aspect of Japan needs to be restructured, he said. But at the same time, it is necessary to set up an organization to monitor whether the plan is carried out as expected. The final report from the Economic Strategy Council, an advisory panel to the prime minister, should propose such an organization, Shingu said.
Utilizing private-sector resources is the key to revitalizing the economy, Shingu said, adding that decentralization of government power is essential for that goal. Authority and financial resources need to be transferred thoroughly from the central government to local governments.
The new Kansai Conference will help the development of the region, he said. When it kicks off in April, the conference will consist of local governments and business groups in the Kansai region that want to promote local projects and decentralization.
Shingu, who announced last month that he is resigning as chairman of the Kansai Economic Federation in May, is set to become the first president of the new organization