Japan PM-in-waiting Kishida says to continue pro-IR policy

Sep 29, 2021 Newsdesk Japan, Latest News, Top of the deck  

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Fumio Kishida (pictured), expected to be Japan’s next prime minister, is a supporter of the country’s casino resort policy, according to his existing record in public office.

He was the chairperson for the policy research council of his political grouping, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, when the Integrated Resorts Implementation Act – the second piece of enabling legislation for creation of a casino industry – was enacted in 2018.

Large-scale casino complexes are known in Japan as integrated resorts (IRs).

According to information collated by GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent, Mr Kishida had negotiated with the LDP’s partner in national government, Komeito, to establish the bill and help push it through the country’s parliament.

Mr Kishida, a former foreign minister, won on Wednesday a four-way race to lead Japan’s ruling LDP.

He is to succeed Yoshihide Suga as government leader: Mr Kishida should be formally elected as prime minister in a parliamentary session scheduled to begin on October 4. He is expected take the LDP into a general election this autumn.

During the fortnight-long LDP leadership election campaign, Mr Kishida indicated – when asked by the media – that he would continue with the IR policy.

Under the current national IR policy timetable, April 28, 2022 is the deadline for local authorities to submit their respective casino resort plans to Japan’s national government. Up to three resorts will be permitted under the liberalisation plan.

The Osaka prefectural government confirmed on Tuesday the winning request-for-proposal (RFP) submission from the MGM Resorts International and Orix Corp consortium, for a casino complex in that Japanese city. The prefecture also released some details on the consortium’s business plans.

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