TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide on Monday pledged to accelerate efforts to promote medical services via the internet.

“We’ll promote drastic regulatory reforms mainly in priority areas such as green, digital, regional revitalization and child-rearing,” Suga also told the day’s online meeting of the government’s regulatory reform promotion council.

He instructed participants to draw up interim reports by year-end.

Participants agreed to set up the five working groups on digital, economic revitalization, child-rearing, education and working style, medical and elderly care services, and agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

They also confirmed that the council’s final regulatory reform proposal will be released as early as June next year.

Suga also promised to accelerate reforms to improve the convenience for the public, including by further boosting the use of online administrative procedures and cashless payment services.

In the meeting, Takeshi Natsuno, special invited professor at Keio University, was elected as the new chair of the council.

On Monday, the Cabinet Office resumed a hotline to collect complaints and opinions related to regulatory and administrative reforms from the public.

JIJI Press