Minister Ibayashi’s Press Conference
Overview
Minister Ibayashi said he was aware that Narita International Airport Corporation had notified the government of a change to the planned completion date for Runway C and announced that it aimed to begin using the area in the early 2030s. He called for efforts that take into account the community’s wishes and local expectations for early completion. He reported that, regarding 64 Flat 35 loans that did not meet the lending requirements, the Japan Housing Finance Agency had begun corrective action, including demanding full repayment, and was also investigating cases outside the audit’s scope. On records of a meeting with Representative Kazuo Yanagisawa, he said the discussion concerned explaining the results after the budget allocation was announced and was not part of the decision-making process; he saw no problem with not having made a memo.
Key points
- The minister said that further strengthening Narita Airport’s functions is extremely important and that there is no time to lose in realizing it.
- The Japan Housing Finance Agency has begun corrective action concerning 64 Flat 35 loans that did not meet the lending requirements.
- Whether to keep records of inquiries from members of the Diet is determined individually, in light of relevant laws and regulations.
Overview
Questions at the press conference concerned Narita Airport, the Flat 35 home loan program, and records of a meeting with Representative Kazuo Yanagisawa; Minister Ibayashi explained the government’s response.
Details
Narita International Airport Corporation notified the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of a change to the planned completion date for Runway C and related matters, and announced that it aimed to begin using the area in the early 2030s. The minister called for the necessary efforts to proceed swiftly, taking into account the decision made by local leaders at the four-party council in July, the community’s wishes, and local expectations for early completion.
The Board of Audit of Japan pointed out the need to correct 64 cases that did not meet the lending requirements and to take measures to prevent recurrence. The agency said it had begun responding, including by demanding full repayment, and was investigating cases outside the audit’s scope. It also reported that it was strengthening reviews of occupancy requirements and revising materials used to explain the program to customers. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism instructed the agency to respond rigorously and will follow up on the status of its actions.
The minister explained that each ministry and agency would handle the matter under the Public Records Management Act and other applicable laws, based on the Basic Act on Reform of National Public Service Systems. The Public Records Management Act and the Cabinet Office’s Guidelines on the Management of Administrative Documents do not require documents to be created for “minor matters.” The inquiry from Representative Yanagisawa concerned explaining the results after the budget allocation was announced and was not part of the decision-making process, so the minister said he saw no problem with not having made a memo. Going forward, the need to keep records will be determined individually in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.