※October 30, 2013
While the Cabinet
plans to submit its bill on the civil service reform in the current
extraordinary session of the Diet, the gist of the bill released by the
government is apart from what it should be to reform the country’s national
public service system in a real sense.
On the civil service
reform, the first Abe Cabinet started intensive consideration, and through
inter-party discussion between the ruling and opposition parties, the Basic Act
on Civil Service Reform was passed into legislation in 2008.
However, the gist of the
bill released this time is different in nature from what had been discussed in
the past as reform plan.
A bill based on the
2008 Basic Act and proposed under the Aso Cabinet in 2009 (“Amari bill”),
though not legislated, entailed inadequate but certain content to push forward
the reform. The bill to be proposed this time, however, is even a step back
from the past proposal.
It is time to
reconsider the content of the bill by returning to the initial reform plan.
1.
Cabinet
Personnel Bureau
Cabinet Personnel
Bureau should be established by integrating authorities of the National
Personnel Agency and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
accordingly with the 2008 Basic Act and 2009 Amari bill, so that the Bureau can
function properly. It should not be
established additionally while maintaining authority of the National Personnel
Authority, etc. because that will not only be against administrative efficiency
but also cause malfunction of the established Bureau
2.
High-class
Officials
The bill should entail
a relaxation of the current “no-dismissal, no-demotion rule” protecting government
officials including high class officials
in the ministries and agencies. At least it should entail a relaxation of the
no demotion rule as once proposed by then-opposition Liberal Democratic Party. Without such relaxation, it continues to be
difficult to appoint younger officials or candidates from private sector as
high-class officials, which means that, even with the Cabinet Personnel Bureau
newly established, personnel changes might continue to be based on the
traditional seniority rule.
3.
National
Strategic Staffs to support the Prime Minister, Parliamentary Staffs to support
each Minister
The idea of placing
staff members to support the Prime Minister and Ministers should be introduced
to realize and support a Cabinet-led policymaking process as suggested in the
2008 Basic Act and 2009 Amari bill.
4.
Open
Recruitment
The idea of introducing
open recruitment widely in the ministries and agencies should be realized, as
suggested in the 2008 Basic Act and 2009 Amari bill.
5.
Amakudari,
Transfer of Incumbent Officials
The newly-added
provision on expansion of transfer of incumbent officials to related companies
and organizations should be deleted, and the policy of “prohibition of
amakudari” since the first Abe Cabinet should be maintained.
To
note, these were the points that faced strong oppositions by the Kasumigaseki
bureaucracy and the relating lawmakers in the LDP during the policymaking
process in 2008-2009.
------------------------------------------------------------
Civil
Service Reform: Past Bills and Present Proposal
|
|
Amari
Bill
（submitted by
Cabinet in 2009）
|
LDP
Bill
（submitted in 2010）
|
Bill
at present
（2013）
|
|
Cabinet Personnel
Bureau
|
○Transfer
relevant authority of Internal Affairs Ministry and National Personnel
Authority
|
◎Transfer relevant authority of Internal Affairs Ministry,
National Personnel Authority and Ministry of Finance
|
×Transfer
‘part’ of relevant authority of Internal Affairs Ministry and National
Personnel Authority (consultation with NPA)
|
|
High-class
Officials
|
×No special rules
for high –class officials
・stay in executive
status, and almost no demotion
|
◎Create special rules applied
to high-class officials (Bill on High-class Government
Officials)
・relaxation of “no
demotion rule” for high-level officials to promote appointments of young officials or from private sector
・abolishment of administrative vice
ministers
|
×No special rules
for high-class officialas
・stay in executive
status, and almost no demotion
|
|
National Strategic
Staffs, Parliamentary Staffs
|
○Legalize
to support Cabinet-led policymaking
○number
of applicable positions unlimited
|
＜Not subject of bill＞
（because National Strategic Bureau was under discussion）
|
×not
to be legalized, substituting by existing Special Advisors to PM
×no increase in Special Advisor, only one
increase in parliamentary staff
|
|
Open Recruitment
|
○Legalize Cabinet-led Open
Recruitment (with PM direction available)
○Numerical
Target
|
○Legalize Cabinet-led Open
Recruitment (with PM direction available)
○Numerical
Target
|
×No Legal
Framework
×No Numerical
Target
|
|
Amakudari,
Transfer of Incumbent Officials
|
＜No Provision＞
|
◎Reinforcing the prohibition of
Amakudari by providing with criminal punishment for its violation
|
×Provision to expand
transfer of incumbent officials
|
------------------------------------------------------------
List
of Proposers
Yoshiaki
OKAMOTO, Ernest and Young Shinnihon LLC Executive Director, former vice director-general
of the Civil Service Reform Secretariat
Hiroyuki
KISHI, Keio Gijuku University Graduate School Professor, former secretary to Minister
of Internal Affairs and Communications
Shigeaki,
KOGA, former deputy director-general of the Civil Service Reform Secretariat
Yoichi
TAKAHASHI, Kaetsu University Professor, former director of Cabinet Office
Shuya,
NOMURA, Chuo University Law School Professor/lawyer, former member of the panel
on design of public-private human resource exchange
Toshio
HATATANI, Osaka City Personnel Section Vice-Director, former director of the Civil
Service Reform Secretariat
Eiji
HARA, Public Policy Planning and Consulting Co President, former director of
the Civil Service Reform Secretariat
Taro
YAYAMA, Commentator, former member of the panel on total reform on the civil
service system
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