Governor Tamaki of Okinawa Prefecture held a meeting with Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Nishime, and asked him to request a 300-billion-yen level budget for the promotion of Okinawa in the budget request for the next fiscal year.
Governor Tamaki of Okinawa Prefecture visited the Cabinet Office on the afternoon of the 2nd and met with Nishime, Minister of Okinawa and Northern Territories, and conveyed his requests regarding budget requests for the budget bill for next fiscal year.
In this, Governor Tamaki requested that the Okinawa promotion budget, which fell below 300 billion yen for the first time in 10 years in this year's initial budget, be in the 300 billion yen range.
In addition, in order to speed up the recovery of the tourism industry, which has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, in the next fiscal year's tax reform, an "aviation fuel tax" will be introduced nationwide, which imposes a tax on the fuel loaded into aircraft on flights departing from and arriving at airports in Okinawa Prefecture. We requested that the mitigation measures that reduce the amount of the tax to half the price be extended for three years.
In response, Minister Nishime said, "I would like to proceed with the necessary considerations for the Okinawa promotion budget to promote promotion measures. Regarding the tax system, I understand that it contributes to the economic development of Okinawa and the stability of the lives of the citizens of Okinawa. I would like to take the request firmly and work on it while scrutinizing it."