Wakayama governor asks IR plan nod by prefecture assembly

Apr 07, 2022 Newsdesk Japan, Latest News, Top of the deck  

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The governor of Japan’s Wakayama prefecture, Yoshinobu Nisaka (pictured in a file photo), has urged the prefectural assembly to follow the lead of the city council and also vote in favour of the local plan for a casino integrated resort (IR), so it can be submitted to the national government by the April 28 deadline.

The governor made the appeal during a Wednesday media briefing. He told reporters: “It would be a big problem if the assembly does not vote in favour of the prefecture submitting the IR plan to the central government.”

He added: “I am confident it would get approved by the central government once the prefecture sends it.”

Local elected representatives have expressed concerns that the details regarding funding for the JPY470-billion (US$3.8-billion) scheme have yet to be clarified by the chosen private-sector consortium, led by Clairvest Neem Ventures KK.

Wakayama’s other local elected body, the city council, voted at the end of last month in favour of the so-called IR District Development Plan, which had been finalised shortly before.

The governor added in his Wednesday comments, that if Wakayama prefectural assembly “refuses to send” the local IR proposal to the central authorities, the assembly will be “responsible for ruining the IR plan”.

But if the prefectural assembly agrees to send the local IR proposal to the central authorities, he will be the one held “responsible” were the plan to be “rejected by the central government”, the governor said.

Up to three casino resorts will be allowed nationally, under the existing liberalisation programme. Currently, Nagasaki and Osaka are also likely to submit applications.

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