Kan receives grand reconstruction design from key gov't panel+

TOKYO, June 25 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Saturday received a set of proposals on how to rebuild areas devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami from his key advisory panel, which calls for efforts to minimize damage in a country destined to coexist with natural disasters.
The proposals, relying on the assumption that a similar catastrophic disaster could occur at any time, will serve as a master plan for Japan's formidable reconstruction work in the years ahead.
For the expected huge costs, the Reconstruction Design Council says the government must consider raising core taxes for a limited time, in addition to cutting wasteful government spending.
Considering the geographic and geological characteristics of the Japanese archipelago, the council says that natural disasters are unavoidable and calls on the government, as well as local authorities, to focus more on measures aimed at ''minimizing damage.''
Based on this philosophy, the council headed by Makoto Iokibe, president of the National Defense Academy of Japan, advises that the northeastern region of Tohoku, where about 23,000 people died or are missing, not be simply rebuilt as it was.
Instead of spending massively on public works and just trying ''to head off natural disasters,'' such as building tsunami breakwaters across the seacoast, central parts of towns and cities in the region must be moved inland or to higher ground and recreated on the principle of making it easier for people to escape.
Iokibe told reporters that the reconstruction design shows ''conscience, idealism and desire for hope.'' He added the ruling and opposition parties should unite to realize his council's proposals at a time when the country's political situation appears increasingly unstable.
''The more serious a national crisis is, the more both the ruling and opposition camps have to cooperate,'' Iokibe said. ''I want them to unite to provide support for the victims of the disaster and people in Japan.''
Kan said the government ''will engage in reconstruction efforts by making the most'' of the latest proposals.
The council also recommends the establishment of permanent anti-tsunami measures that can be applied to the rest of the country, with the aim of creating necessary new laws in the future.
To revitalize the region, which faces the challenge of an aging and declining population, one option may be to launch special economic zones to allow deregulation and tax breaks, it says.
The panel advocates making the region a global front-runner in agriculture and fisheries and the development of cutting-edge technologies.
It also says that Tohoku has great potential to turn into a leading user of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass energy.
With regard to the ongoing nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, triggered by the twin natural disasters, it urges the government to play a central role in bringing its radiation-spewing overheating reactors under control and assisting the affected people.
The 15-member council says the disclosure of accurate information and the start of monitoring radiation levels nationwide based on unified standards will be vital, holding the key for restoring confidence in Japan at home and abroad.
Based on the proposals, whose subtitle is ''hope in the tragedy,'' the government is preparing to draw up two extra budgets this summer.
But it remains uncertain how rapidly and effectively these ideas will be put into practice as Kan's leadership has been weakening and he has been under pressure from both ruling and opposition lawmakers to step down soon.
On how to finance the reconstruction work, the council says the government could issue special bonds for a certain period of time and redeem them by increasing core taxes.
Core taxes include consumption, income and corporate taxes. But the council did not specify which taxes should be raised.
Iokibe indicated that the set of proposals is effectively the final one from his council, which was established in April, although he had repeatedly said the first batch of proposals would be issued by the end of June before the final one comes out by year-end.
Critics say it is possible that the council changed the schedule against the background of the political situation in the hope that working out the grand reconstruction design would be completed while Kan is in office -- a view denied by Iokibe.
Kan referred to the possibility of seeking more from the panel, saying in receiving the proposals that new problems would likely emerge.
Kan announced early this month his intention to resign once certain progress is made in rebuilding hard-hit areas and containing the nuclear crisis triggered by the natural disasters. But he has not since clarified when he will step down.
Other members of the council included architect Tadao Ando, Sony Corp. Vice Chairman Ryoji Chubachi and Takashi Mikuriya, a University of Tokyo political professor. Philosopher Takeshi Umehara served as special adviser.
==Kyodo
2011-06-26 00:27:09