### 4. Examples of Administrative Reform Efforts

Local governments are making various administrative reform efforts with the aim of achieving sound financial conditions. The following are some of them:

## Examples of Specific Efforts

Figures in parentheses show achievements so far.

• Reduction of number of staff by about 20% (about 3,000 persons) in the 10 years from fiscal 1999 to fiscal 2008. (In the four years from fiscal 1999 to fiscal 2002, the number of staff was reduced by 1,228 persons, or about 8%.)

• Reduction of managerial allowance. (10% reduction in fiscal 2001 and 2002.)

• Implementation of revision of administrative tasks. (119 administrative tasks were abolished or suspended in fiscal 2002.)

- Reduction of number of staff in prefecture-related organizations by about 20% (about 600 persons) in the nine years from fiscal 2000 to fiscal 2008 through a revision of prefecture-related organizations. (In the three years from fiscal 2000 to fiscal 2002, the number of staff was reduced by 320 persons.)

• Abolition, privatization, etc. of more than 26 public facilities (about 20%) in the seven years from fiscal 2002 to fiscal 2008 through a revision of public facilities.

• Reduction of number of staff in departments and bureaus under the governor by about 10% (about 1,400 persons) in the 10 years from fiscal 1997 to fiscal 2006. (The prefecture brought forward the target year by four years and more than achieved the goal with a reduction of 1,581 persons (11.7%) in the six years from fiscal 1997 to fiscal 2002. Efforts are being continued toward further reductions.)

• Reduction of general staff salaries, etc. in the five years from fiscal 2000 to fiscal 2004. (4% reduction for staff receiving managerial allowance; 2% reduction for general staff.)

• Reduction of more than 10% in the number of main office bureaus, departments, sections, and offices in the five years from fiscal 1997 to fiscal 2001. (The target has already been more than achieved, with reductions in the six years from fiscal 1997 to fiscal 2002 of 4 departments or bureaus (28.6%) and 32 sections or offices (21.5%).)

- Curbing of the issue of new prefectural bonds to less than 10% of independent financial sources, such as tax revenue, by fiscal 2006. (The ratio was 23.1% in the final budget for fiscal 1996 and 14.7% in the initial budget for fiscal 2003, a decline of 8.4 percentage points.)

• Revision of existing projects. (In fiscal 2003, 88 projects were abolished or suspended and 1,009 projects were decreased or merged.)

• Reduction of number of staff by 1,000 persons (about 5.5%) in the five years from fiscal 2001 to fiscal 2005. (Reduction of 736 persons in the two years from fiscal 2001 to fiscal 2002.)

• Reduction of salaries for special posts. (15% reduction for mayor and 10% reduction for deputy mayor, etc. in fiscal 2002.)

Reduction of salaries for general staff. (In fiscal 2002, 5% reduction for bureau, department, and section chiefs; 4% reduction for assistant section chiefs and subsection chiefs; 3% reduction for other staff.)

Reorganization and merger of more than three auxiliary organizations in the five years from fiscal 2001 to fiscal 2005.

• Raising the municipal tax collection rate from 94.1% in the settlement of fiscal 1999 to the 96% level in the fiscal 2003 settlement.

• Implementation of revision of 142 administrative tasks in the five years from fiscal 2001 to fiscal 2005. (Achieved the planned target of 80 tasks in the two years from fiscal 2001 to fiscal 2002.)