Japanese business leaders have called on the new government led by the Liberal Democratic Party to take immediate action to support the private sector and realize economic growth with strong leadership.
In their New Year's messages, the heads of Keidanren and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged the government to address key issues, including revamping the nation's energy policy and participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks to help Japanese firms increase their competitiveness.
"I strongly urge the new government to improve the (business) environment so the private sector can maximize its strength," Keidanren Chairman Hiromasa Yonekura said in a statement, adding that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government was formed late last year "with high public expectations."