The three top leaders of the ruling alliance confirmed Monday evening that a new law mandating ethical discipline in the bureaucracy should be created to prevent money-related scandals.
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said during his meeting with Takako Doi, leader of the Social Democratic Party, and Akiko Domoto, chief of New Party Sakigake, that new legislation would certainly tighten discipline among government employees and should be created.
It was the first time for the three ruling bloc leaders to meet since two bank inspectors in the Finance Ministry were arrested Jan. 26 on suspicion of bribery.
Domoto said the new law should include an article banning the practice of "amakudari," where bureaucrats leaving their ministries drop into lucrative positions at private firms and government-affiliated corporations formerly under their jurisdiction. Hashimoto said lawmakers also should straighten up now that a new law is being considered for bureaucrats.
The three parties have already agreed that a new ethics law should be created to prevent corruption from occurring among politicians. Earlier in the day, the government set up a panel to tackle the task. It is headed by deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Teijiro Furukawa and consists of vice ministers from all government ministries and agencies, the deputy director general of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, the head of the National Police Agency and the head of the Cabinet Councilors' Office on Internal Affairs.