Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and top aides on Wednesday stepped up efforts to make key placements ahead of next week's Cabinet reshuffle, with coalition partner New Komeito likely to receive the health and welfare portfolio.

Sources close to the prime minister said Mori was hoping that key New Komeito figure Chikara Sakaguchi would accept the position, which is considered a pivotal one as Diet deliberations in the fall are likely to focus on social welfare.

In addition, it was basically agreed that Hidenao Nakagawa, who has already been informally named chief Cabinet secretary and minister in charge of information technology issues, would also become head of the Okinawa Development Agency.