Statement by Yasuchika Hasegawa, Chairman of Keizai Doyukai
On the Reshuffling of the Noda Cabinet

January 13, 2012

Yasuchika Hasegawa
Chairman, Keizai Doyukai

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Regarding the reshuffling of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's Cabinet announced today-appointing Mr. Katsuya Okada as Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister in charge of the Comprehensive Reforms of Social Security and Tax Systems and the Government Reforms, etc.-Prime Minister Noda demonstrated his determination to address important policy agendas and realize much needed reforms for Japan.

Ideally, cabinet members should be consistent throughout a Prime Minister's term, and it is preferable not to reshuffle the cabinet immediately before budget deliberations within the Diet. However, as the cabinet reshuffling is aimed at advancing reforms, I hope the new cabinet remains steadfast under Prime Minister Noda's firm will and strong leadership to implement important policy, such as reconstruction of the affected areas by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Comprehensive Reforms of Social Security and Tax Systems, reducing the number of seats in the Diet, and reducing civil servant salaries.

Despite a "divided Diet", the Japanese public has high expectations of both the ruling and opposition parties to reach sensible solutions to important policy issues. For the national and public interest, the opposition parties should not avoid participating in the deliberations in order to materialize concrete policy.

Japanese version