Japan's Suga Focuses on Establishing Digital Cheong... Orders "Basic Policy to Be Finalized Within the Year"

Confirmed 'Digital Backwardness' During COVID-19 Response and Taking Action
Emerges as Key Policy... "Bill to Be Submitted to Regular National Assembly in January Next Year"

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Yoshihide Suga, the Prime Minister of Japan, has instructed to finalize the basic policy for the establishment of the Digital Agency, one of the key policies introduced after his inauguration, within this year. This reflects his determination to actively improve Japan's image as a "digital laggard" revealed during the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to NHK and other sources on the 23rd, Prime Minister Suga held a "Meeting of Ministers Related to Digital Reform" at the Prime Minister's Office and instructed to finalize the basic policy for the establishment of the Digital Agency within this year so that the necessary related bills can be submitted to the regular Diet session convening in January next year.

This is the first ministerial meeting held for a specific policy since Prime Minister Suga took office. This indicates that Prime Minister Suga is paying close attention to the establishment of the Digital Agency and considers it his flagship policy. Attending the meeting were Takuya Hirai, Minister for Digital Reform, and Taro Kono, Minister for Administrative Reform, among others.

Prime Minister Suga explained that through the establishment of the Digital Agency, integration of national and local government systems, promotion of the distribution of "My Number Card" (an identification card similar to South Korea's resident registration card), and online administrative procedures via smartphones will be advanced.

Prime Minister Suga stated, "Various problems such as delays in digitalization of national and local governments and shortage of personnel were revealed during the COVID-19 response," and announced the creation of the Digital Agency to fundamentally solve these issues. He added, "An organization is needed where talented individuals from both public and private sectors gather to lead the digitalization of society as a whole," and said, "We will speed up the review, finalize the basic policy by the end of the year, and then submit the necessary bills to the regular Diet session."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.