Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suge, Wants To Reform And Digitize The Government System

Chief Cabinet Secretary and candidate for Prime Minister (PM) Japan, Yoshihide Suge (Twitter / sugawitter)

JAKARTA - Chief Cabinet Secretary and candidate for Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suge said he wanted to focus on reforming the Ministry of Health if elected as PM. Because, he saw that disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic could not be handled alone by one ministry. In addition, he also wants to intensify digitization of the Japanese government system.

"The COVID-19 pandemic is a big problem that the Ministry of Health cannot handle alone," Suga said. Quoted by Reuters, Monday, September 7. For him, the Ministry of Health, which has the largest budget of all ministries, should play a greater role in combating COVID-19.

Unfortunately the reality on the ground is far from expectations. This is because the number of COVID-19 is increasing in Japan.

To date, there have been 71,865 cases of COVID-19 in Japan and 1363 of them have died. This record puts them in position 45 as the country most affected by the Corona virus.

As is known, during the corona virus pandemic, the Japanese Ministry of Health seemed to be fighting alone in dealing with the spread of the virus. This is different from other countries where the pandemic is handled by cross-ministries and involves various state agencies. Meanwhile, the strategy adopted by Japan actually made the State of Sakura confused.

Digitization

Not only that, Suga also wants every ministry and private sector in Japan to start adopting a digital strategy to work. Suga believes this will make the government more adaptable in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as provide options for workers in the ministry.

"As working from home is becoming more common in times of the coronavirus pandemic, I think it's proof that the government and the private sector need to digitize," he told a press conference.

Suga's statement is in line with the argument made by the former Japanese Economy Minister, Heizo Takenaka. Heizo, who has close ties to Suga, has advised the Japanese government to focus on promoting digitalization amid the pandemic.

"I really hope that Suga will encourage digitalization and environmental sustainability, which together will ultimately lead to the revitalization of the area," said Takenaka. "It's great to see something like a digital agency being formed, even if it's only temporary."

For information, Yoshihide Suga is expected to be the strongest candidate to become Japanese PM and chairman of the ruling party, the Liberal Democratic. Since PM Shinzo Abe decided to resign, Suga has managed to secure support from various factions in the party.