A government deregulation panel said Thursday it will seek enactment of a general law to create "special structural reform zones," rather than individual laws, the panel's chairman said.
The Council for Regulatory Reform expects the law to list in a cross-ministerial manner the types of special zones in which specific regulations will be drastically eased or abolished, Orix Corp. Chairman Yoshihiko Miyauchi told a news conference.
The panel plans to incorporate the proposal in a report it will compile and submit to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on July 23, Miyauchi said.
The idea is apparently aimed at preventing government agencies from watering down the envisaged bold deregulation steps by devising individual laws for special zones according to their spheres of authority.
A tug of war is expected to continue between the council and concerned ministries for leadership in drafting bills to realize the zones for planned submission to the Diet in the fall.
Koizumi plans to legislate regulatory reforms based on the panel's recommendations where possible during the extra fall session and in the ordinary session starting in January.