services for hearing-impaired people).

To promote the greater use of broadcasts for people with vision and hearing impairments, MIC established the Guidelines for Government Administration to Promote Broadcasts for the Vision and Hearing Challenged. The Guidelines set targets for the percentage of closed captioned broadcasts and broadcasts with audio commentary so that people with vision and hearing impairments can readily obtain information via broadcasts. MIC also encourages voluntary efforts by private TV

### 5. Developing ICT Personnel

## (1) Promoting Programming Education

In FY2016, MIC started the Program to Promote Youth Programming Education to train local people as mentors and conduct demonstration tests nationwide wherein programming education is provided after school or on holidays by sharing and utilizing teaching materials and know-how on cloud platforms.

In March 2017, MIC, MEXT and METI, together with companies and ventures in the education and IT-related fields, set up the Learning Consortium for the Future to commence efforts for disseminating programming education.

## (2) Raising ICT Literacy

MIC takes actions for the safe and secure use of the internet by children in partnership with MEXT and communications organizations, and runs e-Net Caravans, a series of rotating lectures given across the country to

### 6. Developing Cloud Services

## (1) ASP·SaaS·IoT Cloud Consortium

To promote the expansion of ASP, SaaS, and the cloud, MIC is examining issues of concern when providing and using ASP, SaaS, and cloud services for the social capital field and other fields at the ASP-SaaS-Cloud Spread Promotion Council, which was established jointly with the ASP-SaaS-IoT Cloud Consortium (ASPIC) (formerly, the ASP-SaaS-Cloud Consortium (ASP)).

## (2) Promoting Regional ICT Investment Making Use of the Cloud and Other Technologies

MIC launched the Study Group on Promoting Region-

### 7. Boosting Productivity with ICT

## (1) Support Measures to Back up Small and Medium sized Enterprises' Aggressive Investment

Under the Act on Strengthening Management Capabilities of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), SMEs that have established a management capability enhancement plan and obtained approval of the competent Minister of their respective business sector are eligible for preferential measures concerning fixed property tax and corporation tax, etc. for certain facilities obtained based on the approved plan. Additionally, low-interest loans from government financial institutions, broadcasters and assists with the production fees for closed captioned programming and programming with audio commentary.

Furthermore, to promote universal usage conditions, MIC issued the Guidelines on the Operation of Public Websites (2016 issue) and miChecker Ver.2.0 (Accessibility Assessment Tool) in April 2016 to make it easier for everyone, including aged people and people with physical and mental challenges, to use the websites of public institutions.

guardians, teachers, and juvenile students. Additionally, it develops and disseminates teaching materials and other resources tailored to the characteristics of different media formats to encourage the sound use of media by children.

MIC developed the Internet Literacy Assessment Indicator for Students (ILAS) in FY2011 as a test to accurately ascertain the internet literacy levels among young people. MIC has been using the test on first-year high school students across Japan since FY2012. In FY2016, increasing the participants to approx. 14,800 students from 89 schools, MIC conducted a questionnaire on the use of smartphones and ICT devices together with a test measuring the internet literacy levels of young people. The results of the questionnaire were tabulated and analyzed and were released in March 2017 as the “FY2016 Youth Internet Literacy Indicators.”

al ICT Investment Using the Cloud in January 2015 to examine specific measures to further advance ICT investments that help revitalize local regions. The Study Group put together a report in July 2015. The report recommended the establishment of a promotion framework that seeks to revitalize local regions and increase productivity and profitability by switching businesses over to cloud services. In December 2015, eight private enterprises that concur with this recommendation set up the Organization for Cloud Utilization and ICT Investment by Local Enterprises.

credit guarantee or debt guarantee for loans from private financial institutions, or other support measures are also available for such SMEs.

## (2) Assistance through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program aims to promote new business activities by SMEs. The program attempts to broaden the opportunities for SMEs to participate in national R&D projects and helps SMEs commercialize the resulting R&D outcomes from