The new IT strategy launched by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is garnering much attention as of late.
The strategy’s main feature is the establishment of a government entity in charge of all things digital — a digital agency. Suga has appointed Takuya Hirai, the Liberal Democratic Party's top IT expert, as minister of digital reform, and plans to launch the new agency next year. The Suga administration will aim to erase the government's lag in digitization. This deficit was recently highlighted during the COVID-19 crisis with troubles such as those relating to the electronic application for special fixed benefits.
"We need to take responsibility for all digital-related policies in one agency. The agency’s institutional design is forthcoming, but I want to give it top priority," Suga said concerning the creation of a so-called "control tower" to guide the new IT policy. "We are also considering necessary revisions to the IT related law. We want to consolidate all fields, including My Number system."