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Report
No.240401 |
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MAFF Launches to Redress Rural Gap with Urban Areas The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) set up Headquarters for the Reinvigoration of Rural, Mountain and Fishing Villages on October 18 in an effort to promote vitalization of local areas, which is one of the top priority issues of the Cabinet of Shinzo Abe. MAFF plans to sort out problems involved by the end of the year and to draft what measures to take by August 2007. It is for the first time that MAFF establishes a headquarters for invigoration of rural, mountain and fishing villages. The problem of gaps among people came to the fore in policy debate as a negative aspect left by the structure reform policy promoted by the previous cabinet of Junichiro Koizumi. Abe Cabinet, being conscious of the problem, has put 'Challenge Again Assistance Measures' on its policy priority list from early on so as to invigorate local areas, which are said to have been left behind the economic recovery, and to create a society which does not harbor gaps in it. MAFF will study in earnest what national government assistance measures are possible for rural invigoration by having Mr. Teru Fukui, Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as chairman of the headquarters, and with all sections of the ministry standing ready to work on it. The headquarters held the first of its meeting on the same day where the status of gaps and problems, quoting figures from relevant statistics, were tabled. Disclosed in the meeting were how agricultural income of farm households has declined under stagnant farm prices and how income for the rural area as a whole has been on the decreasing trend; additionally, problems were reported of the fast speed of population decrease in local areas compared to urban areas, of deficient infrastructure for dwelling as testified by the lower propagation rate of sewage system and slower spread of information and communication technology. Invigoration of rural and local communities has been a challenge for rural, mountain and fishing villages over the years and MAFF underscores to say "There are areas that revitalized themselves by taking advantage of their specific local characteristics. We would conceive of assistance so that examples of such an initiative will spread throughout the country." The headquarters is composed of the heads of bureaus and a working team is set up under it. It is anxious to speed up its work so it can draft new policy measures in time for submitting next summer an outline request for agriculture, forestry and fisheries related budget for FY 2008. |
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