Stressing the need for a more flexible system that rewards competent bureaucrats, former administrative reform minister Yoshimi Watanabe said Tuesday he intends to submit a counterproposal to a four-year government plan to reform the management of national public servants.
Watanabe particularly criticized the government plan for lacking a clear time frame for revising the rigid public servant salary law.
Speaking at a Tokyo hotel, Watanabe argued the government should adopt a more flexible approach to promoting competent bureaucrats, including offering higher salaries, just like many companies in the private sector.
However, getting the alternative bill passed won't be easy because the signatures of 20 Diet members are required before legislation initiated by a lawmaker can be submitted.
Watanabe said he received "favorable responses" to a draft of the counterproposal e-mailed to some members of the Liberal Democratic Party and Democratic Party of Japan. However, he did not say how many are likely to support his nonpartisan effort.