PRESS CONFERENCE
Yukio Edano
State Minister in Charge of Administrative Reform

The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation

Yukio Edano was appointed to the Cabinet in February to take charge of the Government Revitalization Unit, launched by the new government to shake up the budget process and government administration. Together with National Policy Minister Sengoku, he carries the burden of administrative reform, one of the Hatoyama government's priority focuses.

Already a six-term Diet man at 45, Edano is one of the most influential of the DPJ's younger generation. He quickly came to notice last year as head of the revitalization unit's waste-cutting task force scrutinizing government programmes.

Reports of his appointment noted also a distance between him and DPJ secretary-general Ozawa. Edano has promised a second round of cost-cutting following implementation of the Budget.

Yukio Edano, State Minister in Charge of Administrative Reform