61505    The Special Advisory Council pressed the government to address the issue of decentralization since "promoting decentralization and establishing local autonomy are the inescapable demands of the present day."

61506    Additionally, last fall, including the six major organizations on local governments such as the Association of Prefectural Governors and other concerned groups, the Local Government System Research Council, an advisory body to the prime minister, private-sector members of a special task force for the Decentralization Section under the governmental Administrative Reform Promotion Office compiled reports and summaries one after the other for the subsequent submission to the central government.

61507    In response to these developments, the government endorsed the policy outline concerning decentralization at the Cabinet meeting on December 25 last year.

61508    The policy outline incorporates the promotion of transferring authority from the central government to the local governments, the enhancement of the local fiscal base and other concerned matters in addition to the clear indication that the legislative bill to promote decentralization will be tabled during the regular Diet session.

61509    While the cry for the "age of local autonomy" has been around for a long time, it is not an overstatement to say that the arguments for decentralization have fizzled out in the past.

61510    From that perspective, we give credit to the policy outline this time as one step forward for decentralization.

61511    From now on, the focal point will be what decentralization bill will be prepared to be tabled at the Diet based on the policy outline.

61512    At present, it is expected that this bill will be proposed at the Diet by mid February, and the Chief Cabinet Secretary, Kozo Igarashi, stated in an interview with the Mainichi Newspapers that, "this bill will have to be enacted during the coming Diet session at any cost."

61513    That determination sounds great, but what is more important is the substance of the bill.

61514    During the process prior to reaching the decision, the substance of the policy outline had already been set back from the original concept due to the conflicts among the central government offices and the opposition from the parliamentarians representing special interest groups.

61515    One of the items that has been altered is the system of agency-delegated functions (ADF) which has been pointed out as local governments being the subcontractors of the central government.

61516    While the Local Government System Research Council requested to eliminate that system in principle, the policy outline simply stated that, "the system will be examined."

61517    As well, the government policy outline does not clearly state whether or not to empower the "Decentralization Promotion Office"that monitors the progress of decentralization with the supervisory and advisory functions.

61518    It is feared that resistance from the bureaucrats may further compromise the substance when the activities of passing the bill move into high gear.

61519    In conjunction with finalizing the bill, the government must take a firm stance to include the in-principle dissolution of the agency delegated function system and installment of the Decentralization Promotion Council as a powerful third-party organization.