Japan Gov't Officially Launches Reconstruction Agency of Earthquake

2012-02-10

Japanese government officially launched on Friday a reconstruction agency to promote the recovery work of areas devastated by the March 11th earthquake.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and the new agency's first head Tatsuo Hirano held press conference separately Friday evening after the lunch ceremony.

Noda explained that when Hirano was the disaster minister in July last year, he almost visited the disaster hit areas every week, made a lot of contributions to the remonstration works, Hirano is well familiar with the situation in the affected areas, that's the reason why he chose Hirano.

"Weather the power of the new agency could be used appropriately is the key weather the reconstruction agency could operate properly, is also the key of reconstructions for all quake- hit areas. I will play my leading role better as the Prime Minister of Japan." Noda said.

Noda also announced his 5 main tasks in next stage of reconstructions in devastated areas at the press conference, including new house remonstrations, garbage disposal, and employment guarantee, victims' psychological consulting and nuclear accident victims' returning.

Tatsuo Hirano, the 57-year-old new minister of reconstruction agency, was born in Iwate prefecture, one of the worst hit prefectures, vowed to take helm in rebuilding works.

Hirano encouraged the officials who work in the Tokyo headquarters to make utmost effort to accelerate reconstructions together and always sincerely respond to the victims' calls in the press conference later Friday.

The headquarters of the reconstruction agency is located in Akasaka, and there are three main local reconstruction bureaus in Morioka, Sendai and Fukushima, the capitals of three worst hit prefectures, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima respectively, with total 250 officials.

The reconstruction agency was planed to operate about 10 years until the end of March 2021, mainly dealing with questions about making reconstruction policy, settling down the location of special rebuild area, allotting reconstruction funds, and coordinating with other related departments to promote reconstruction.

"The material of making the wooded tablet outside the reconstruction agency is from the earthquake hit area. We want to take this as a warning that we should always remember the expectations form the residents in earthquake hit area, that's our heavy responsibility," said Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda when he attended the lunch ceremony in downtown Tokyo.

Noda appointed Tatsuo Hirano as head of the reconstruction agency one day ahead.

Last December, Japan's lower house of parliament passed the bill on establishing a new agency to bolster efforts to rebuild areas ravaged by the natural disaster and bring cabinet members to a maximum 18 by adding a new member.

Source: CRIEnglish.
Link: http://english.cri.cn/6966/2012/02/10/2701s680431.htm.