TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his Cabinet on Wednesday to focus on reviving the world's No. 3 economy.
A newly appointed minister Katsunobu Kato will steer programs aimed at achieving a strong economy and increased birthrate so the population stabilizes and the country can stay afloat.
Nine ministers were replaced in the reshuffle, while key posts, including the foreign, defence and finance ministers, were unchanged.
Abe pushed through unpopular security legislation last month and is refocusing on the economy.
Abe vowed to stabilize the population at 100 million to build a society where all Japanese contribute to achieve the goals. After years of steady decline, Japan's population is now 126 million. The idea is to promote “a society where all 100 million people are active,” Abe said.
He said ongoing measures to help women's advancement, or “Womenomics,” is a key element of the programs. However, the Cabinet lost one female member in the reshuffle, with three women now among the 19 ministers.
The programs in Kato's portfolio are based on a set of new economic policies announced late last month, including a GDP target of 600 trillion yen ($5 trillion), and a target birthrate of 1.8 children per women from the current very low rate of 1.4. He also vowed to increase support for child rearing and measures to lighten the burden of elder care for struggling families.
Japan's economy contracted at a 1.2 per cent annual rate in the April-June quarter. Experts say achieving Abe's goal would be a stretch at Japan's recent pace of growth. It was unclear how those projects could be funded, given Japan's tight fiscal conditions.