Takaichi announces 'POWERR Asia' initiative to ensure stable domestic energy supply and strengthen economy.

Takaichi announces 'POWERR Asia' initiative to ensure stable domestic energy supply and strengthen economy.

[Ministerial Meeting on the Situation in the Middle East] Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister stated: “This meeting follows on from last week’s session. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication. Let us respond to this situation with an even greater sense of urgency and speed to ensure that the lives, livelihoods, and economic activities of the Japanese people are not disrupted. Yesterday we held the Asia Zero-Emission Community (AZEC) Plus Online Summit, where I announced the launch of the ‘Partnership On Wide Energy and Resources Resilience Asia,’ or ‘POWERR Asia.’ For Japan, which imports various critical petroleum-derived goods from Asia, including medical supplies, this initiative will help ensure a stable domestic supply and strengthen the Japanese economy. As part of our domestic measures, subsidies for gasoline, diesel, heavy oil, kerosene, among others, are being continued, and this week’s average gasoline price nationwide is being kept at around 170 yen. We received a report today that the necessary quantity for Japan as a whole has been secured, and that progress is being made in resolving distribution bottlenecks occurring in some areas. First, with regard to thinners, which have been a source of concern for those in the painting industry, Minister Akazawa and Minister Kaneko identified bottlenecks and promoted the sharing of information on raw material supplies between the public and private sectors, thereby enhancing the predictability of raw material procurement across all levels of the supply chain. As a result, shipments from thinner manufacturers have recovered and the situation is improving. Furthermore, some housing equipment manufacturers had been holding back on accepting new orders for prefabricated bathrooms due to shortages of raw materials.  As in the case of thinners, bottlenecks were identified, and Minister Akazawa promoted similar efforts across all levels of the supply chain. As a result, the resumption of new orders has been announced. In the healthcare sector, which is directly linked to people’s lives, as shown in this handout, steady progress is being made in addressing distribution bottlenecks for items such as disinfectants, needles for dialysis, and blood donation bags. In the medical field, no contingencies can be tolerated. I instruct Minister Ueno to work in close coordination with Minister Akazawa and make every effort to achieve zero bottlenecks in the medical sector. We have received concerns from local clinics and dental practices regarding the supply of medical gloves. In response, starting in May, the Government will release 50 million medical gloves from its pandemic stockpile to medical institutions facing supply constraints. The Government currently holds nearly 500 million medical gloves available for release. Requests for required quantities will be accepted through the Gathering Medical Information System for medical institutions, and supplies will be released in a timely manner. We ask for your reassurance. Regardin