Mr. Ken Kobayashi, a former major trading company, was appointed as the new chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) elected Mr. Ken Kobayashi, an adviser to Mitsubishi Corporation, as its new president at its extraordinary general meeting on the 17th, succeeding former president Akio Mimura, who served three terms for nine years.
Mr. Kobayashi is 73 years old.
He has long been involved in the shipbuilding and shipping businesses at Mitsubishi Corporation, serving as president and chairman, as well as serving as vice chairman of Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) and chairman of the Japan Foreign Trade Council.
In his speech at the general meeting, the new president Kobayashi said, "Over the past 20 years or more, Japan's economy has remained stagnant, with prices, wages, and productivity remaining almost flat. Neither countries nor companies can survive in this era unless we take on the challenge of reform from a different perspective."
On top of that, he identified the strong promotion of private sector investment and the development of an environment in which wages can be raised sustainably as particularly important policy issues. rice field.
At a press conference after taking office, President Kobayashi said, "The weakness of SMEs is productivity, but I think raising productivity through IT and DX = digital transformation is the key to raising wages. We will also raise prices appropriately. I want you to have courage, but you need support from the government for that, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry wants to fully cooperate."