Japan to form digital policy agency led by private-sector figure

Office will promote information technology in paper-reliant bureaucracy

The new agency would promote a shift to e-government and tackle Japan's poor coordination on promoting technology. (Photo from the Tokyo government's Facebook account)

KOSUKE TAKEUCHI and YUKIO TAJIMA, Nikkei staff writers

September 18, 2020 02:02 JST

Updated on September 18, 2020 03:59 JST

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's new government plans to establish an agency for digital policy by fall 2021 to unify policymaking on information technology, Nikkei has learned.

Suga instructed his digital affairs minister, Takuya Hirai, to fast-track preparations for the agency on Thursday, the new prime minister's first day in office. The government will consider having a figure from the private sector lead the new office to better align policy with technology trends.