The three ruling parties approved a government plan Friday to introduce a new wage system for national government officials based on competency and achievements, party officials said.
The Liberal Democratic Party, New Komeito and the New Conservative Party endorsed the outline of the reform of the public-servant system, which also called for establishing clear-cut regulations for "amakudari," or descent from heaven, in which bureaucrats descend to cushy jobs at companies their ministries oversee.
The practice is one reason for the cozy ties between government and Japanese industries.