July 29, 2009With the general election only a month away, retiring bureaucrats are rushing to land cushy jobs before such a practice could be banned if a new administration takes power.
A string of personnel reshuffles for former bureaucrats getting plum jobs was announced on Tuesday, only a day after the opposition Democratic Party of Japan released its manifesto, including a ban on ministries and agencies from securing cushy jobs for retiring officials.
Yukiyoshi Minehisa, 60, former administrative vice minister for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, assumed the post of vice president of the Japan Housing Finance Agency as of Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, it was announced that Takashi Suzuki, 60, former director-general of the Patent Office will be appointed as president of the Nippon Export and Investment Insurance -- an independent administrative agency -- as of Aug. 1.
These moves may be criticized as a last-minute push before a possible change in the reins of government.
Senior posts in these organizations have already been occupied by former bureaucrats. Minehisa's predecessor at the Japan Housing Finance Agency was Yasuhisa Mitsui, former administrative vice minister for the now-defunct National Land Agency. Suzuki is taking over from Hidehiro Konno -- former vice-minister for international affairs at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry -- as president of the Nippon Export and Investment Insurance.
The Japan Housing Finance Agency was launched in 2007, taking over the now-defunct Government Housing Loan Corp. The roles of vice presidents of both the former and current organizations have been held by former Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry officials.
Likewise, the roles of presidents of the Nippon Export and Investment Insurance has been held by former officials with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
(Mainichi Japan) July 29, 2009
Posts
