Monday, Nov. 26, 2007Kyodo News
The government, hoping to win over local opponents to the Futenma base relocation, has decided to unfreeze ¥10 billion in this year's budget to promote development in northern Okinawa Prefecture, according to sources.
The money is part of ¥100 billion in promotion measures to be disbursed over 10 years from fiscal 2000 as a de facto reward for 12 municipalities in northern parts of Okinawa for accepting the U.S. air station.
The central government decided in May 2006 to abolish the measure when Japan and the United States finalized an agreement on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan. It was revived to smooth the negotiations with local governments.
The ¥10 billion for this fiscal year was suspended due to the stalemate in the relocation talks.
The central government plans to build two runways in a V-shaped formation in the city of Nago using the coastal region of the U.S. Marines' Camp Schwab and new landfill.
Local governments in Okinawa have proposed that the runways be built further offshore to reduce the noise impact on nearby residential areas.
Reflecting Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's intention to move the negotiation forward, the central government decided to unfreeze the money with the aim of eliminating confrontation with the local governments after they resumed the relocation talks Nov. 7 for the first time in 10 months, the sources said.
The central government will allocate another ¥10 billion in the fiscal 2008 budget for the promotion measures, they said.
During the Nov. 7 talks, the central and local governments agreed to work toward an early resolution of the controversial relocation of the air station but remained divided on the details.
At that time, Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima requested that the relocation site be "as far as possible" offshore from the Camp Schwab.The central and local governments will hold their next meeting in December.
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