Final discussions on the Okinawa Promotion policy, the scope of the budget cuts and term of the Special Measures Law. (20de21)

Final discussions on Okinawa Prefecture’s Promotion Policy are in view. 

The major points are the scope of cuts to the Promotion budget and the review of the term of the Okinawa Promotion Special Measures Law, due to expire at the end of this year. Looking ahead to next year’s election year, the battle between the National Government and the Prefecture is intensifying. 


Chief Cabinet Secretary Mizuno held a press conference on a19 December visit to the town of Kadena in the prefecture. On the 2022 Promotion budget, he went only so far as to note, “The editing work on next year’s budget is moving along and it’s being decided within the budget.”


Since 2013, the Promotion budget has been maintained at the 300 billion yen level. Back in 2013, Prime Minister Abe promised then Governor Hirokazu Nakai  that the 300 billion yen level would be guaranteed yearly until 2021, in return for his permission for construction work to relocate the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago. 


In November, Governor Denny Tamaki asked Prime Minister Kishida to maintain the 300 billion yen level. However, right after, the governor denied the Defense Ministry permission for a change in the design of the base construction. Among those surrounding the prime minister in the National Government, the attitude is, “After that, we are no longer obliged to honor the old promise.” So, their proposal, pondering a range of  270 billion yen, has popped up. 


As for the term of the Special Measures Law, the very foundation of the Okinawa Promotion Plan, on 17 December, the LDP Okinawa Promotion Survey Committee came up with a series of proposals to shorten its term to 5 years, objecting, “There’s no need to stick with the current arbitrary 10 years.” However, some pointed out, “Added to the budget cuts, stomping the term down to half, won’t gain us the understanding of the localities.”


In Okinawa next year, the Nago mayoral and prefectural gubernatorial elections will be held. While the ruling party (LDP) is balancing considerations of getting tough and local understanding, the work of bringing it all together continues.


Original Japanese article: Yomiuri Shimbun Online, published Sunday 19 December 2021 at 23:56

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/870c257326f5efe8b7105bdfa50329167888c979


Translator’s note:

Denny in the News: news about Okinawan Governor Denny Tamaki.

Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 

  1. This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 

  2. Any suggestion on improving the translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.

  3. Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.


 

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