Japan Business Federation calls for digitalisation to be accelerated

Keidanren, Japan’s largest business lobby, has called on the government to do away with paper documents for all procedures in the public and private sectors and to switch to electronic applications.

The reforms include revising 87 regulations, including introducing electronic applications for driver’s license changes and family registration certificates.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida set up the government’s provisional council on digital administrative reform in November 2021. The next three years would be a “period of intensive reform” with an action plan to be finalised by the end of May, said the digital agency.

A survey of Keidanren’s member companies on administrative and corporate improvements saw 780 requests from about 200 companies and organisations.

The most common item to be improved, at 300, was making administrative and other procedures electronic. Many sought the elimination of seals and signatures on documents, which are deeply prevalent in government offices. Some have complained about the need to physically go to the counter and wait in line amid an uncertain outlook for the end of the pandemic.

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In particular, Keidanren requested that the procedures for obtaining documents issued by public offices, such as garage certificates, registrations related to businesses and real estate, and “single certificates”, used in activities to find a marriage partner, be conducted online, according to The Mainichi.