RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONGPA/W/196
28 May 2002
(02-2917)
Committee on Government Procurement Original:  English
NOTIFICATIONS FROM JAPAN UNDER ARTICLE XXIV:  6(a)
Pursuant to Article XXIV, paragraph 6(a) of  the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement,
the Government of Japan wishes to notify the Committee on Government Procurement of the following
rectifications of a purely formal nature with regard to Annex 3 of Appendix I of the Agreement:
- add "- National Agency for Vehicle Inspection" after "- Labor Management
Organization for USFJ Employees" in Group B in the "List of Entities";  and
- add "- National Agency for Vehicle Inspection " after "- Labor Management
Organization for USFJ Employees " in Group B in the "List of Entities which
procure the services, specified in Annex 4".
The above rectifications are the result of the following organizational change relating to a central
government entity in Annex 1.  They do not alter the level of the mutually agreed coverage provided in
the Agreement.
(1) In the process of Japan's central government reform (cf. GPA/W/129 and GPA/W/137),
part of the undertakings, which have been carried out by local branch offices of the
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in Annex 1 are to be conducted by theNational Agency for Vehicle Inspection.  Under the Law Concerning the National
Agency for Vehicle Inspection (Law No. 218 of 22 December 1999) and the relevant
ordinances, this organizational change shall be implemented as of 1 July 2002.  The
National Agency for Vehicle Inspection shall be established as an Independent
Administrative Institution (IAI), which will be legally independent from the government,and will perform transferred undertakings efficiently and effectively.  (The outline of this
entity is attached hereto.)
(2) Since this new organization does not fall under the central government entities covered
by the Accounts Law and is not provided for in the National Government OrganizationLaw and the Law establishing the Cabinet Office, Japan has decided to add this entity to
Annex 3 regarding both supplies and services (under Group B in the "List of Entities"
and the "List of Entities which procure the services, specified in Annex 4" of Annex 3).
In this way, the Agreement can be applied to it with the same thresholds and conditions
as stipulated in Annex 1 for central government entities.
(3) This entity will have accounting rules with which to implement the relevant thresholds
and procedures under the Agreement.  These accounting rules will apply as of 1 July
2002.  Challenge procedures, as provided for in Article XX in the Agreement, will apply
to the procurement conducted by this entity, which will fall under the control of the
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.GPA/W/196
Page 2
(4) The above-mentioned rectifications are consistent with the relevant rectification
notification from Japan (GPA/W/129, dated 19 March 2001), which became effective on
5 September 2001 (WT/Let/400)1.
                                                     
1 Japan will notify the Committee of similar rectifications to Annex 3 concerning another IAI,
which is to be established in April 2003.GPA/W/196
Page 3
Attachment
Outline of the National Agency for Vehicle Inspection
(to be established as of 1 July 2002)
a. Purpose
To secure the safety of road vehicle and to prevent pollution caused by road vehicles.
b. Scope of the Work
Inspections to be carried out in order to determine whether or not road vehicles conform to the
safety regulations designed for them.
c. Organization
Head Office:   Tokyo
Branch Offices:  93 offices nationwide
d. Relations with the central government
The competent ministry for this organization is the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and
Transport .
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