Japan's 3 Major Biz Lobbies Submit Policy Requests to New PM

Tokyo, Oct. 4 (Jiji Press)--Japan's three major business lobbies on Friday submitted their economic policy requests to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office on Tuesday, calling for facilitating wage increases and ensuring stable energy supplies.

The written requests were handed to Ishiba by Masakazu Tokura of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, Ken Kobayashi of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Takeshi Niinami of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, or Keizai Doyukai, in their meeting at the prime minister's office.

Ishiba told the three business leaders that ending the Japanese economy's deflationary state is a top priority.

"We must focus on investment and wage growth to fully overcome deflation," Tokura told reporters after the meeting. "We must not miss this opportunity."

Keidanren called for efforts to achieve an appropriate inflation level of around 2 pct and to sustain the momentum of wage growth. It also urged the government to draw up details of its plan to accelerate the restart of nuclear reactors and develop and build new ones, as well as to create a fair and sustainable social security system for all generations.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]