The dilution of devolution
(From The Japan Times Dec. 16 issue)

地方分権、これ以上の後退を許すな

The government's devolution panel has submitted to Prime Minister Taro Aso a second set of recommendations calling for the consolidation of regional offices of central government ministries and a reduction in the number of national servants working at such offices.

The scope of the reform contained in the plan is smaller than expected. This indicates that resistance is building from government ministries and bureaucrats as Mr. Aso's grip on power weakens.

Some 210,000 of the nation's 330,000 national servants work for the central government's regional offices. The panel discussed what to do with 15 such offices in terms of jurisdiction. Under the panel's proposal, only one — the Central Labor Relations Commission's regional office — would be abolished and six offices would continue to exist with their organization streamlined. Two offices under the wing of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry would be integrated into a "bloc organization."/p>

Three other regional offices, consisting of branches of the infrastructure and transport ministry, and the farm ministry, would be consolidated into a new "local works bureau," and yet another three regional offices into a new "local development bureau." These new bureaus would be placed under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet Office. The central government is likely to retain substantial power in the regions despite the ideal of decentralization, since about 30,000 workers are expected to work for these new bureaus.

At present, 96,000 people are working at 15 regional offices. The panel called for reducing their number by about 35,000, with about 23,000 of them transferred to local governments. But the panel failed to make clear the deadline for the personnel reduction. The panel also decided to abolish or reduce 47 of some 400 types of work being done by the 15 regional offices and transfer 74 to local governments, allowing the central government ministries' branches to retain quite a lot of work. Mr. Aso needs to do his best to prevent further dilution of the panel's proposals due to bureaucratic pressure.

地方分権改革推進委員会が麻生首相に第2次勧告を提出した。麻生政権失速のもと、省庁及び官僚の抵抗を反映し、期待された改革の規模からは後退した。

国家公務員約33万人のうち出先機関の職員は21万人。対象となる15機関のうち、完全廃止を求めたのは中央労働委員会地方事務所のみ。厚労省傘下の2機関は「ブロック機関」に統合される。

国交省地方整備局や農水省地方農政局など3機関は「地方工務局」、ほか3機関は「地方振興局」に再編されるが、この2局に職員3万人が残り、中央省庁に大部分の権限が温存される。

委員会は15機関の職員9万6千人のうち3万5千人を削減、うち2万3千人の移管を目標としたが、完了時期は示していない。麻生首相は官僚による勧告内容の骨抜き防止に全力で努めるべきだ。