Amakudari in Tokyo Metropolitan Government

* Written by Eiji HARA, PPPC President

 When we speak of amakudari, we tend to turn attentions toward the

issue in the central government ministries. But similar phenomena do

exist in the local governments. The issues are often said to be

particularly serious in Tokyo, to the extent more serious than in the

central government.

Actually, looking at data,

・Most of reemployment of executive officials (higher than

  director-level) of Tokyo metropolitan government are undertaken by

  the affiliated organizations (for the past one year, among 160

  officials, 32 were reemployed by supervised organizations, 16 by

  reported organizations, and 39 were recruited by public-interest

  organizations).

・On the contrary, among 1,122 retired high officials (higher than

  director-level) of the central government ministries for the past

  one year, many found reemployments in private companies or started

  their own businesses, and the proportion of reemployment in public

  corporations and independent administrative agencies is rather small.

http://www.soumu.metro.tokyo.jp/03jinji/jinzaibank/25kouhyou.pdf

http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000248458.pdf

 In the background of such gaps, there are differences in the

regulations over amakudari between the central and local governments.

 In the central government, the first Abe administration in 2007

passed into legislation the revision to the national public service

act and the following regulations were taken into effect.

・Prohibition on mediation for reemployment

・Restriction on job-application activities, prohibition on lobbying

  after being reemployed

・Monitoring by the “Reemployment Oversight Committee”

 Subsequently, there were emasculation or adverse-reforms such as

・Basic Guideline for Retirement Management (expansion of dispatch of

  incumbent officials)

・Late-start of the Reemployment Oversight Committee,

However, the regulations do exist in the central government after all.

 On the other hand, as for the local government employees, the bill to

revise the local public service act entailing the following measures

was proposed in the same year 2007, but the bill was dropped without

being deliberated.

・Measures to ensure that the local governments implement fair

  management on retirement.

・Prohibition on lobbying after being reemployed

 There have been no legislative discussions on the local public

service act with regard to regulation over amakudari thereafter.

 During the time, there was an introduction of regulation which

basically prohibits reemployment of officials in affiliated

organizations through legislation of “Basic Ordinance on Employees”

in Osaka city and prefectural governments. However, there are no such

restrictions in any other local governments including Tokyo.

 Unfortunately, the candidates for the February 9 Tokyo gubernatorial

election seem to have relatively low interests on such issues at the

current moment.

http://yatoojp.com/2014/02/03/242/

 In essence, it is hoped that new governor of Tokyo metropolitan

government will tackle with issues relating with dark parts of the

existing structures of administration irrespective of past practices.

It is highly expected that a new Tokyo governor will cope with such issues.