An administrative reform committee of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved a bill Thursday that would trim the government's current 22 ministries and agencies down to one Cabinet Office and 12 ministries.
The government plans to start the transformation in January 2001 at the earliest. The bill is expected to be submitted to the Diet around Feb. 20.
Kabun Muto, head of the LDP committee, said specific issues concerning the administrative work of each ministry will be determined later. "After this basic bill on administrative reform is passed by the Diet, details will be finalized when drawing up a law on establishing each ministry and a law on the Cabinet institution," Muto said at the committee's meeting.
Because the Defense Agency would remain as is, some rightwing LDP members at the meeting demanded that it be granted full ministry status as soon as possible.