Noto Peninsula Earthquake

Kishida to Schedule Discussion between Cabinet Ministers and Local Government Head in Areas Hit by Noto Peninsula Earthquake

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:09 JST, January 16, 2024

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday he plans to schedule an opportunity for local government heads in municipalities devastated by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and relevant Cabinet ministers to exchange opinions about aid.

Kishida unveiled the plan during a morning meeting of the government’s Headquarters for Major Disaster Management held at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Currently, the government is preparing an aid package for survivors of the disaster to restore their normal day-to-day lives and means of earning a living.

“I want relevant officials to make the aid package better by reflecting the voices of the victims in the disaster-hit areas,” Kishida said.

To fund the aid package, the government has decided to double its reserve fund earmarked in the fiscal 2024 budget from ¥500 billion to ¥1 trillion.

The revised budget bill was scheduled to be approved at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting in the afternoon of the same day.