Proposal on the Tohoku Reconstruction
Keidanren compiled an opinion paper titled "Proposal for Accelerating Reconstruction following the Great East Japan Earthquake" today. It has been almost 1 year and 4 months since the earthquake and tsunami caused devastating damage. It is indispensable to continue tackling difficulties for a long period to achieve full recovery of Tohoku. The proposal points out issues and necessary policy measures that should be taken care of immediately. Keidanren is determined to continue great contribution to the reconstruction making full use of the expertise, technology and know-how of private companies.
We are going to visit the devastated area on the occasion of a regular meeting with Tohoku business leaders on July 11.
Feed-in Tariff Scheme for Renewable Energy
The feed-in tariff scheme for renewable energy sets rather high purchasing prices for electricity, but it is not clear whether such prices are appropriate.
Japanese manufacturers have been improving their products through innovation, but the scheme will most probably kill these efforts. The scheme allows high income earners who can afford to invest in expensive photovoltaic power generation to pass the cost on to low-income group who also pays surcharges.
It is necessary to build a system that ensures a stable supply of high quality electricity at lowest possible price because innovation is the most important thing for expansion of renewable energy.