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2. Tokyo's Long-term Vision and the fiscal 2015 proposed budget

The shape of the world's best city will be that of a city that respects the diversity of its people, including their different lifestyles, cultures, and values; a city where anyone can feel happy; a city that makes everyone truly feel they want to continue living there.

The Long-Term Vision for Tokyo, formulated with a hard look 10 years into the future, is the principal policy guiding the metropolitan affairs of Tokyo in its aim to become the best city in the world. In the vision, we have incorporated many of Tokyo's own advanced policies, as well as measures to invigorate the economy. If you let a drop of blue ink fall onto a pool of clear water, the blue ink will spread out across the surface of the water. I believe that this first drop should be Tokyo. If our policies succeed, then they will unfold across the country. If Tokyo's economy improves, that will influence the economy of areas outside of Tokyo. The year 2020 is not our final goal. Using 2020 as a springboard, we will create a new movement to open up Japan's future starting from Tokyo.

Fiscal 2015 proposed budget

The fiscal 2015 proposed budget is what will breathe real life into that vision for Tokyo. In the area of welfare, where I began my political career, we compiled a budget of over 1.1 trillion yen. This is the highest proportion of the total budget that welfare has ever held. We have compiled an aggressive budget, with investment expenses also increased by over 10 percent for purposes such as the construction of facilities ahead of the 2020 Games and the enhancement of disaster resistance.

Fortunately, tax revenue in the coming fiscal year is expected to be strong. However, Tokyo's tax revenue has constantly been affected by the ups and downs of the economy. Therefore, in compiling the budget, we have focused on the promotion of reforms to metropolitan administration through the review of programs and the creation of a solid financial base with an eye to the mid-to-long term.

We are encouraging the renewal of policies through means including allowing bureaus that have proactively reviewed their programs to submit budget requests up to twice the amount that was saved. Through this process we have secured 41 billion yen in funds, equal to 1.6 times that of the previous fiscal year. In addition, we have launched 330 new programs. We will continue to thoroughly implement "scrap-and-build" measures as a method to carry out administrative reform. In addition, we will establish new funds in seven focus areas, including welfare, disaster preparedness, realization of a hydrogen society, and culture, and create a system for the stable and strategic promotion of policies.

Building a nation where Tokyo and rural areas prosper together

In this year's tax reform, the provisional measure for corporate enterprise tax and the turning of a portion of the corporate inhabitant tax into a national tax—irrational measures implemented by the central government—have been extended, resulting in a 300 billion yen reduction in revenue for the fiscal 2015 budget. I will continue to strongly urge the central government to repeal this system. In addition, with a reduction to the effective corporate tax rate planned, I will ask the central government to secure a solid alternative source of revenue.

As I keep saying, it is a mistake to contort issues such as the lack of revenue for local government finance and regional revitalization into a confrontation between "metropolises" and "rural areas." This way of thinking is flawed. In order to resolve this problem, we must fundamentally rethink the shape of this country.

Last weekend, I met with Shigeru Ishiba, Minister in charge of Vitalizing Local Economy, and we exchanged views on regional revitalization from the perspective of Tokyo. I emphasized the following three points that I believe are key: 1) From the viewpoint of the national government, Tokyo is a local region. 2) At the same time, however, Tokyo is the nation's capital. 3) Furthermore, cities around the world are now in the midst of interurban competition. Based on these points, if Tokyo is defeated in the global competition between cities, the entire country will decline. In order to win this fierce competition, Tokyo will do all possible, and areas other than Tokyo must make efforts as well. Meanwhile, whether it pertains to being supplied with electricity or with food, Tokyo is being supported by other areas. We must not forget this. Minister Ishiba and I agreed that both large cities and other areas should leverage their individual strengths to grow. Based on the Long-Term Vision for Tokyo, we will now also work to formulate a comprehensive strategy pursued by the central government. We will continue to do our utmost to support the recovery of areas in the Tohoku region affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and contribute to building a nation where Tokyo and other local areas prosper together. It is from this stance that we will manage the affairs of the metropolitan government.