A government deregulation committee Tuesday picked 67 themes in 16 fields, including social sectors, as targets for further decontrols.
The committee, established in May under the government's administrative reform promotion headquarters, is to compile a final report by mid-December. Among the 16 fields are such social sectors as safety and the environment, education and medical care services, along with economic fields, including competition policy, telecommunications, distribution, transportation, financial business and energy.
For instance, the committee will consider easing restrictions on home medical care, day-care centers and labor regulations. Such social restrictions are considered to be far more delicate than those purely concerning business and economic activities.
The committee will also study how to open up some of the public or nonbusiness sectors -- such as infrastructure projects -- for the participation of private businesses.
In the economic arena, it will look into ways to promote competition between two regional firms to be created by the planned breakup of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.