We hope the Reconstruction Design Council set up by the government on April 11 will offer hope and courage to those facing hardship in areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Through a Cabinet decision, the government set up the panel of experts tasked with presenting a set of proposals on the reconstruction of areas hit by the massive earthquake and tsunami.

The 15-member council, headed by Makoto Iokibe, president of the National Defense Academy of Japan, includes Takashi Mikuriya, a University of Tokyo professor; architect Tadao Ando; and the governors of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. The panel is expected to compile its proposals in June.

Compared to the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, the affected area is much larger and the damage heavier. The fiscal foundations of many affected local municipalities are weak and bringing the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima plant under control is likely to take longer than expected. Post-disaster reconstruction efforts, therefore, may lead to even greater hardship.

The main focus of the proposals may lie with how to rebuild the devastated areas so they will be more resilient in withstanding natural disasters.

To counter the effects of a tsunami, houses should be built on elevated ground and away from coastal areas. More public facilities are needed to serve as evacuation centers and they should be built higher than at present.

Each area affected by the disaster has its own special circumstances and requirements. The central and local governments should consult each other closely, draw up future plans in line with the situations in each community and carry out town planning systematically.

One idea is for the three disaster-affected prefectures in the Tohoku region to be designated as a special zone and receive preferential tax and fiscal measures.

By easing restrictions on land use and simplifying the related permits and licensing system, new enterprises may be attracted to the region and industries and tourism promoted.

A reconstruction plan worked out on the basis of the panel’s proposals will be agreed on and implemented by a governmental “reconstruction headquarters” to be set up later this month.

It is important for politicians and bureaucrats to work together on this project. The situation is problematic as the government has dealt poorly with the disaster over the past month, with so many panels created at the Prime Minister’s Office that bureaucrats are at a loss as to whom to report.

The bungled handling of the crisis was a factor in the ruling Democratic Party of Japan suffering a setback in Sunday’s nationwide local elections. Prime Minister Naoto Kan should realize this and establish a chain of command to ensure the bureaucratic system functions efficiently.

The introduction of legislation in dealing with post-disaster reconstruction and the compilation of a supplementary budget has been sluggish.

Legislative measures, such as a bill to extend tax grants to local governments affected by the disaster, should be taken promptly. The divided Diet, in which the ruling parties have a majority in the House of Representatives and opposition parties control the House of Councillors, must not work at cross-purposes.

To find the financial sources for reconstruction work, government expenditures could be cut, government bonds issued and a special tax created.

We hope the ruling and opposition parties consult each other and form a consensus on the issue. To this end, the government should drastically reduce its handout policies, including the child-rearing allowances.

(Editorial, The Yomiuri Shimbun)

(Asia News Network)