TOKYO: Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will outline plans on Wednesday to revive a pandemic-hit economy after his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a strong majority in last month's election.
A post-election boost for the softly-spoken former banker from the nuclear memorial city of Hiroshima has pushed up government support ratings to 53% in an opinion poll this week by public broadcaster NHK. Two weeks ago support was at 46%.
Kishida, who is set to lay out his plans at a news conference on Wednesday evening, has stressed that his immediate priority was to revive growth, with fiscal reform later.
Solid ratings, a planned economic stimulus that could be worth more than 30 trillion yen ($264.7 billion), coupled with high vaccination rates and few infections could help Kishida solidify his power base in the party and avoid the fate of his predecessor Yoshihide Suga who lasted only a year in the job.
On Wednesday, Kishida was re-elected by the parliament in whose powerful lower chamber the LDP won 261 out of 465 seats. The vote was a formality given the dominance in parliament of the party and its junior coalition partner.
In Japan, a prime minister is elected by members of parliament, and not by national election.
Kishida is also set to reappoint all but one of the ministers from the previous line-up, announced last month after he was first elected by the parliament following his victory in the LDP chief race triggered by Suga's resignation in September.
One change is in the position of the foreign minister, where Kishida is expected to replace Toshimitsu Motegi, who has moved to a key party post, with another LDP heavyweight former Education Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Most of Kishida's ministers have no prior cabinet experience, in line with his pledge to give a chance to new people, but the majority of important jobs have gone to allies of two party grandees: conservative former premier Shinzo Abe, or ex-finance minister Taro Aso.
In a further move bolstering the position of conservatives in the LDP following Abe's record-long tenure in the top job, the ex-PM agreed on Wednesday to take over as the head of the party's largest faction, domestic media said.
With elections out of the way, Kishida is setting an ambitious agenda to pass economic stimulus on Nov. 19, and an extra budget to fund the spending by the end of this month.
One pillar of the planned stimulus is a payout of 100,000 yen in cash and vouchers for children aged 18 or younger, for which the coalition agreed on Wednesday a cap of 9.6 million yen in annual income.
On Tuesday, Kishida vowed to put the economy on track by boosting private-sector investment and disposable income to achieve a "virtuous cycle" of economic growth and distribution of wealth.
He has said he wants to revamp the medical system and provide booster shots to better protect against the next wave of COVID-19 infections.
Reuters
Wed Nov 10 2021
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is applauded after being re-elected as the prime minister, at the Lower House of Parliament in Tokyo, Japan November 10, 2021. - REUTERS
Lembaga pengarah DNB bermesyuarat minggu depan, tentukan syor bagi hala tuju rangkaian 5G kedua - Gobind
Lembaga pengarah Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) yang baru dilantik akan mengadakan mesyuarat pada Selasa depan.
"Siasatlah...mereka akan tahu apa yang sebenarnya' - Dr Dzulkefly
Dr Dzulkefly berkata pemberian duit raya merupakan amalannya sewaktu menyantuni kakitangan Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM) dan pesakit di wad.
Turkiye gantung aktiviti perdagangan dengan Israel
Turkiye menggantung segala aktiviti perdagangan dengan Israel pada Khamis berikutan serangan berterusan rejim itu ke atas Semenanjung Gaza.
Remaja 13 tahun mengaku bakar anak kucing hidup-hidup
Seorang remaja lelaki berusia 13 tahun mengaku bersalah di Mahkamah Majistret pada Jumaat atas satu pertuduhan membakar anak kucing di sebuah pangsapuri, minggu lalu.
PKR rai ulang tahun 25 tahun dengan penganjuran karnival 11 Mei ini - Nurul Izzah
PKR akan meraikan ulang tahun ke-25 penubuhannya dengan menganjurkan satu karnival terbuka di Sentul Depot, Kuala Lumpur 11 Mei ini.
Syed Hamid Albar letak jawatan sebagai Pengerusi Yayasan WIEF
Syed Hamid Albar mengumumkan peletakan jawatannya sebagai Pengerusi Yayasan Forum Ekonomi Islam Sedunia (WIEF), berkuat kuasa 30 April.
AWANI Tonight: Microsoft to invest RM10.5 bil in cloud, AI services
Microsoft has pledged RM10.5 billion investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing to help develop Malaysia’s AI infrastructure.
AWANI Tonight: UCLA pro-Palestine students in standoff with police
Hundreds of police officers made their way to the UCLA campus, warning pro-Palestinian demonstrators that they would be arrested for unlawful assembly if they did not leave.
AWANI Tonight: Building smart homes, innovating customer experiences
Around 500 to 700 million LG products are in use worldwide, many of which contain AI sensors to learn and analyse users' lifestyles. Astro AWANI correspondent Faye Kwan reports on how the firm makes use of its access to this wealth of data.
Cuaca panas: KKM akan umum jika perlu tutup sekolah
KKM akan membuat pengumuman termasuk mempertimbangkan keperluan penutupan sekolah berikutan cuaca panas melanda beberapa negeri.
PM Kishida lawat AS, kali pertama dalam sembilan tahun
Fumio Kishida dijangka menghadiri satu sidang kemuncak bersama Presiden AS, Joe Biden pada Rabu di Washington.
PM Kishida lawat kawasan terjejas gempa bumi
Lawatan itu yang pertama beliau ke kawasan terjejas akibat gempa bumi sejak menerajui pentadbiran negara.
Gempa bumi: Pihak berkuasa Jepun masih kesan 51 orang dilaporkan hilang
Di bandar Wajima yang mencatatkan angka kematian tertinggi akibat bencana itu, enam orang dilaporkan hilang.
Gempa bumi Jepun: Korban meningkat kepada 78 orang
Bandar Wajima paling teruk terjejas dengan 44 kematian direkodkan.
PM Jepun Kishida gantikan dua eksekutif parti pemerintah LDP yang dibelenggu skandal
Perdana Menteri Jepun menggantikan dua eksekutif parti LDP dalam usaha untuk memulihkan kepercayaan orang ramai di tengah-tengah skandal dana politik.
Lawatan ke Jepun berjaya, tarik potensi pelaburan RM6.56 bilion - PM Anwar
Lawatan Perdana Menteri ke Jepun dianggap berjaya dan menggalakkan apabila nilai potensi pelaburan yang dibawa pulang berjumlah RM6.56 bilion.
Anwar, Kishida gesa pembaharuan PBB, Majlis Keselamatan
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan rakan sejawatnya dari Jepun Fumio Kishida menegaskan semula bahawa PBB perlu segera membuat pembaharuan.
Malaysia-Jepun setuju tingkat kerjasama dalam lima bidang
Malaysia dan Jepun mengumumkan peningkatan hubungan kepada Perkongsian Strategik Komprehensif dengan kedua-dua negara bersetuju meningkatkan kerjasama dalam lima bidang utama.
PM Anwar adakan mesyuarat dengan PM Jepun, umum kerjasama strategik komprehensif
Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengadakan mesyuarat dua hala dengan rakan sejawatnya dari Jepun, Fumio Kishida, di pada Sabtu.
Jadual padat menanti PM Anwar di Tokyo, jumpa PM Kishida
Perdana Menteri akan mengadakan mesyuarat bersama rakan sejawat Fumio Kishida, di pejabat beliau kira-kira jam 11 pagi Sabtu.