{"id":4891,"date":"2021-03-17T07:57:59","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T07:57:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langleyesquire.com\/?p=4891"},"modified":"2021-03-18T05:16:40","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T05:16:40","slug":"public-policy-updates-march-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langleyesquire.com\/en\/public-policy-updates-march-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Public Policy Updates – March 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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March 2021<\/i><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The budget for fiscal 2021 has passed the House of Representatives, meaning it will become law within 30 days. Much of the budget consists of allocations for the government\u2019s fight against the new coronavirus pandemic, but much of the debate over the spending package was centered on vaccines and the government\u2019s pandemic response. The opposition, as well as the LDP\u2019s junior coalition partner Komeito, saw an opportunity to criticize the government for the delay and lack of clarity in the vaccine rollout. Japan considerably lags behind the U.S. and many EU member states in deploying the vaccine. The state of emergency is now lifted everywhere except Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures, but much work remains.<\/p>

Despite the critical importance of the vaccine rollout for the Suga administration\u2019s own survival, the supply of vaccines is lower than expected. Vaccine Minister Kono Taro is confident that the government can administer second doses to the elderly between May and June, with vaccination slated to start in April. But export restrictions from the EU might affect Japan\u2019s supply as well, as the vaccine delivery schedule.<\/p>

Kono, who has been on the spotlight since he took over his new portfolio, is seen as a likely candidate to become the next prime minister \u2014 about 4 times more people expect Kono to be the next premier that those who expect Suga Yoshihide to stay on, according to a Nikkei poll. Within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Kono\u2019s position in the second largest faction could support his candidacy for the party presidency, and therefore the premiership. Suga, in contrast, is not a member of any factions. The vaccination campaign will be a major yardstick by which the public judge whether both the government as a whole and Kono himself were able to successfully fight the virus. However, there is no scenario where the Prime Minister Suga can claim success without Kono also winning public support.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Want to Stay Informed?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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