In light of the issue that the government's authority over local governments was not clarified during the response to the new coronavirus, the government has decided that in the event of a serious situation such as an infectious disease or disaster, the national government will We have decided on a bill to revise the Local Autonomy Act to enable the government to issue the necessary instructions.
The bill to amend the Local Autonomy Act, which was approved at a cabinet meeting on February 29, was created to address the need to transport patients across prefectures due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus, but as there was no provision in the law regarding national authority, local governments and This is based on the fact that it took time to make adjustments.
Specifically, in the event of a situation that seriously affects the safety of the people, such as a large-scale disaster or the spread of an infectious disease, the national government will issue necessary instructions to local governments even if there are no provisions in individual laws. We are planning to create special exceptions that will allow this.
Regarding this provision, local governments have expressed concerns that their equal relationship with the national government may be impaired, so the proposed amendment requires that the national government make efforts to request local governments to submit opinions when issuing instructions. It also includes things that should not happen.
In addition, ▽The national government will be able to request and instruct local governments to support staff in response to infectious diseases, and ▽The national government will be able to request and instruct local governments to support staff in response to infectious diseases. It also includes prefectures making necessary adjustments based on instructions from the government.
Strengthening cyber security
The proposed amendment to the Local Autonomy Act also includes a requirement for local governments to strengthen their cybersecurity, including the prevention of cyber attacks and information leaks.
Requires local governments to formulate and publish policies to ensure cybersecurity and take necessary measures.
The Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications will also provide guidelines to help local governments set their policies.
In addition, as part of the promotion of digitalization, it is included to make it possible to pay national pension insurance premiums by utilizing "eLTAX", which allows local taxes to be paid using a QR code common to local governments.
In addition, in order to support the lives of local residents as the population declines, municipalities designate organizations that are active in the local area, such as federations of neighborhood associations and social welfare councils, as ``designated community joint activity organizations'', and It also includes support for